The Life I Could Have Lived
by Trufreak89
Summary: After a tragic accident Emily Fitch is forced to move to Bristol to live with a mother she thought was dead and a twin she never knew she had. Her only consolation is in meeting Naomi Campbell. **complete**
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Life I Could Have Lived

**Disclaimer: **I'm English, but sadly not Bryan Elsley or Jamie Brittain so I don't own skins or anything associated to the show.

**Summary: **After a tragic accident Emily Fitch is forced to move to Bristol to live with a mother she thought was dead and a twin she never knew she had. Her only consolation is in meeting Naomi Campbell. 

Emily Fitch stared at the streets of Bristol as they whizzed past the window. She had been born in the city, yet none of the landmarks or streets that passed by were familiar to her. The coach pulled in to the station and she begrudgingly got to her feet, waiting for a fat, balding man to pull his hand luggage out of the overhead compartment. She finally made it off the coach, carrying her own bag over one shoulder. She adjusted the aviator sunglasses on top of her head so that they shielded her eyes from the mid-day sun.

"Emily?" A woman in her early forties approached her. She wore a grey suit and crisp white shirt with her dark hair pulled back in to a bun. "Of course you are. You look just like Katie. I'm-"

"Jenna, right?" Emily interrupted the stranger. The woman looked slightly taken aback by her abruptness.

"I'm your mother, Emily-"

"Like I said. Jenna." Emily had not seen the woman who called herself her mother for over fifteen years. Until two weeks ago she had believed her mother was dead. That was until her father had been killed in a road accident and she had learnt the truth from a stuffy lawyer in a cheap suit. She still didn't know the full story, but then she didn't really want to know. She didn't want to know Jenna, she didn't want to meet her twin sister Katie; she didn't want to be sent to Bristol, away from the friends and the family she knew.

"Right, well, I'm over here." Jenna led her over to a silver BMW. "Katie's out at friend's, but you'll meet her tonight. She's been so excited to meet you. We both have been." The woman tried to smile at her but Emily did not return the gesture. She slumped in the passenger side of the car, staring absently out of the window as they drove through yet more unfamiliar streets. She had spent her early years down south, until her dad had opened a gym in Newcastle. She had spent most of her teenage years there and had expected to remain there after her dad's death. She was seventeen and perfectly capable of looking after herself. Her dad had left instructions with his lawyer. His half of the gym was sold to his partner and the money had been put in a trust fund for Emily. She couldn't access it until she was eighteen and he'd given her mother custody. Though it turned out her father had never really been given custody of her to start with. She didn't want to know how she had ended up with her father while her twin stayed with her mother. She hated Rob Fitch for lying to her her whole life. She despised Jenna for wanting to take her in and for being a constant reminder of her father's lies.

"Did you have a good trip?" Jenna tried to make small talk with her estranged daughter. Emily shrugged. She had been on two trains for a four hour trip down to Liverpool to catch a coach that went halfway round the world to get to Bristol. She had been travelling for the best part of ten hours and she had no inclination towards making small talk with Jenna.

"I've enrolled you in Roundview College with Katie. That woman, Sharon was it? She told me what classes you were taking, so you start on Monday. Gives you the weekend to settle in." Sharon had lived next door to Emily and her father for five years. The redhead had been staying with her since her father had passed away. A week after the funeral the arrangements had finally been made for her to go down to Bristol. Emily had put it off for as long as she could, even considering running away, but Sharon had convinced her to give Jenna and Bristol a go. She would be eighteen in less than five months. After that she'd have her inheritance and she could go back to Newcastle and the people she had left. Jenna seemed to finally realise she wasn't in the mood to talk and left her alone for the rest of the drive.

They finally pulled up outside one of those new build houses that looked like every other house in the street. Emily made a mental note of the number, knowing full when she would attempt to enter the wrong house at least once. "Here we are then." Jenna parked in the drive and lead Emily inside the house. The house was modernly decorated with white walls and colour brought in through cushions and ornaments. The place was immaculate, with not a thing out of place. It was complete contrast to the chaotic house she had shared with her dad. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the doors had a nameplate declaring it to be _'Katie's Room'_ in pink sparkly letters. Emily rolled her eyes. For all she was curious about her twin she was apprehensive about meeting her. If the sparkly name plate was anything to go by they shared nothing in common other than their genes.

"This is your room. Your things should be here in a few days. This used to be the office, but we can decorate it however you like." The four walls were a plain white with a functional black carpet lining the floor. There was a brand new pine double bed and wardrobe, along with a flat screen TV on the wall. Other than that the room was a blank canvas for Emily to make her own.

"Thanks." Emily spoke for the first time since they'd left the coach station. She managed a small smile at the prospect of making the space her own. Jenna seemed pleased by her response.

"Right, well, do you want me to leave you to it? Or we could go have a cuppa downstairs? It's up to you sweetheart."

"I'm gonna hang out up here." Emily watched as the woman's face faltered, but she recovered quickly and hid her disappointment with a smile. "Of course. You settle in. I'll be downstairs doing some work, just let me know if you need anything and I'll give you a shout when your sister's home." _Sister._ After a lifetime of being an only child it seemed strange to think that she had a sister. Not just any sister either. A twin sister. A genetic copy of herself. She knew very little about Katie, other than that she was six minutes older, looked a lot like Emily and went to a college called Roundview. She sat down on the bed and pulled her laptop out of her bag. She wasted an hour on Facebook, updating her status and reading through the wall posts from her friends. A mixture of condolences for her loss and sadness at her leaving.

Before long Jenna was calling up for her. Katie was home. Taking a deep breath she put her laptop aside and went downstairs to meet her sibling. She paused at the kitchen door as she caught sight of her twin. Katie was about the same height, her hair was a chocolate brown and her face was a little rounder, other than those slight differences Emily might as well have been looking in a mirror. "Fuck me." Katie was the first to speak and she took the words straight out of Emily's mouth.

"Katie!" Jenna snapped, hardly approving of her daughter's language. Emily managed a small smile.

"Hi."

"Hey." Katie replied, breaking out in to a smile. "I'm Katie."

"Emily." The redhead replied, still in awe of the resemblance between them. For all Katie was smiling at her she could tell the other girl was taking stock of her. From her red hair to her ripped jeans and the chequered shirt she wore over a vest top. Katie wore a leopard print top and a short black skirt with high heels and a variety of jewellery. Her outfit was made all the more obscure with the _'kiss the cook' _apron she wore over it. She looked like the kind of girl Emily tended to avoid, and she was pretty sure Katie was thinking the same thing about her.

"I'm sorry Emily but I need to pop to the office to drop off some files. I'll leave you two girls too it. Katie's making brownies for her friend Panda's birthday party tonight. Katie, maybe you could take Emily with you?"

"Yeah, maybe." Katie replied, the novelty of her twin having already worn off.

As soon as Emily heard the front door close she made Katie aware she didn't want to go anywhere with her. "You don't need to babysit me." Katie shrugged, focusing on her brownies. She pulled out a small bag of powder from under her apron.  
"MDMA." She answered, even though Emily hadn't asked her about it. "I'll leave you some brownies if you want, yeah?" The redhead felt the ghost of a smile on her lips as she nodded.

"Thanks." Maybe Katie wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what's she like then? Your mini-me?" Effy Stonem quizzed as she helped herself to one of Katie's special brownies. Katie shrugged. She hadn't really spoken to her sister that much. She had been both nervous and excited to meet her, but Emily hadn't seemed that interested in catching up on the sixteen years they'd missed. She'd told as much to her mother before she'd left. Jenna had dismissed it as first day nerves. _'She just ne__eds time love. This is a big change for her.'_

Like it wasn't a massive change for Katie. Suddenly having a twin sister living in her house and going to her college. Her mother would expect Katie to look after her at school, to let her hang out with her and her friends and invite her everywhere. The older twin had actually been looking forward to it until she'd actually met Emily. Her enthusiasm had somewhat wavered when she'd discovered her twin had as much fashion sense as Naomi Campbell. And she wasn't talking about the model. "She was really quiet when I got home. We had like a five second conversation and she went back up to her room."

"You should have invited her Katie!" Pandora bounced up beside them, already wearing the home made pyjamas they religiously wore once a month for their sleepover. It had started with her sixteenth and they had kept the tradition alive in to their second year at college.

"I did!" The brunette snapped irritably. "She wasn't interested. I left her some brownies." Katie shrugged again.

"She has as much fucking taste in clothes as Campbell. Fucking checky shirt and ripped jeans." The older twin scoffed, offended that any sibling of hers could have such poor taste in clothes. "Where is Campbell anyway?"

"Date." Effy answered as she pulled her t-shirt over her head and replaced it with the pastel pink nightie that Pandora's mum had made. The words 'hot stuff' were appliquéd across the front in felt letters. Katie's own had_ sexy bum _written across it. Panda's simply said '_Pandp__ops'. _Katie scoffed.

"Who the fuck would be stupid enough to go out with that lezzer?"

Katie and Naomi had been close friends in middle school. An unexpected kiss at a party had led to them falling out. Both girls told a different version of events, blaming the other for the kiss. They had gone to separate high schools and all but forgotten about each other until they had ended in in the same form class at Roundview. They would have carried on avoiding each other had they not both become friends with Effy, and Panda by default as she followed Effy around like a doting puppy. "Some guy from the club last week." Effy replied, ignoring Katie's comment. "Seemed OK. She said she'd call if she was coming over later." Katie waited until Panda left the room to reply.

"Lucky bitch. I'd rather be out clubbing on a Saturday night." As much as the sleepovers tended to turn out to be fun, with drunken twister and MDMA laced brownies, she would be more than happy to slip out and go clubbing.

Naomi Campbell cursed as she checked her phone for the third time in ten minutes. Her 'date' was almost an hour late. She had been nursing a coffee while waiting for him and the thing had turned cold. Sighing she gave up on him and tossed her Styrofoam cup in to the bin. She pulled her jacket on and held it close against herself. The cold November wind bit at her face as she pulled open the door and braved the night air. Her mood turned even more sour as she caught sight of Katie Fitch. "Hey, twat features. Why aren't you at Panda's?" Katie looked startled at having the blonde blocking her path. She frowned at her as she pulled out her earphones.

"Sorry, do I know you?" Naomi felt her stomach drop as she heard the other girl's reply. Her voice held no hint of her usual lisp. Her hair was the same length, though it was red colour and she was dressed in clothes that Katie _fucking _Fitch would never be caught dead in.

"Fuck. You're not Katie are you?" The blonde felt heat rising in her cheeks and she was certain she was blushing. "Sorry, you must be Emily right? I'm Naomi." She held out her hand and felt even more ridiculous when the redhead just looked at it.

"Are you friends with Katie?" Naomi noticed the way she didn't say _my sister. _She knew little about what had happened to the youngest twin, other than her and Katie's father had taken her with him when he disappeared eighteen months after the twins were born. His car had been found burnt out in an industrial estate and the police had believed Emily and her father were inside.

"Sort of. We're more like reluctant acquaintances." Naomi answered honestly. "So, first night in Bristol right? How come you're not out with Katie?"

"I dunno. I slipped out the house to get away from Jenna. Guess it probably sounds bad, but I'm sort of more like a reluctant acquaintance too. It's like my whole fucking world has just been torn apart and I've been dumped here with a mum I thought was dead and a twin sister I never even knew I had..." Emily trailed off as she realised she was telling all of this to a relative stranger. "Sorry, you don't want to hear all this."

"No...I mean, no, I don't mind. Do you want to get some coffee or something? Or I can show you the sights of Bristol. Not that there are many." She chuckled, realising she wanted to find out more about the mysterious Fitch twin.

"Yeah, OK." Emily followed the blonde back inside the coffee shop. They took a table by the window and settled in to an easy conversation.

"Katie said you've been living in Newcastle. You don't have much of an accent." The blonde observed, more to make conversation than anything else.

"My dad and I lived in London till I was eleven, then we moved up to Newcastle. I never really adopted the accent. My dad said I was too much of a southerner...I thought I was born in Kent. Didn't know about Bristol until..." Emily trailed off, uncomfortable with talking about her Dad and his accident.

"I'm sorry for your loss-"

"Whatever." Emily shrugged, not wanting to break down in front of a complete stranger. "What is there to do for fun around here then?" Naomi was about to answer but was cut off when Emily's mobile started ringing. She held back a small smile as _Paramore's _'_I caught myself' _started playing.

"Shit. Jenna must have realised I've gone AWOL." She hit the end call button and put the phone back in her pocket.

"Do you know how to get back home?" Naomi asked, worried the redhead could spend all night trying to find the right part of Bristol, if she even knew the address. A mischievous smile spread over Emily's lips.

"Who said I'm going back? Know any good clubs?"

Her phone started ringing again and she frowned as she knocked it off. "Maybe you should go back home-"

"It's not my home." Emily snapped, though she regretted how sharp her tone was with the blonde who had been nice enough to invite her for a coffee and listen to her whine about being in Bristol for the better part of an hour.

"Jenna will be worried. At least talk to her Emily." The redhead sighed before pulling her phone out again and sending a quick text to the woman who had rang her three times in ten minutes. She finished off her coffee and got to her feet.

"Know which bus I need to get?"

It turned out Naomi lived a short drive away from Jenna's house and she caught the same bus with Emily, offering to walk her home. They reached the top of the cul-de-sac and the redhead insisted she knew where she was going from there. "I'll see you at college Monday." She smiled at the blonde. She'd enjoyed her time with the other girl. The bus ride back had been spent talking about what subjects they were taking at college. Emily was going to be in three of Naomi's four classes.

The second she stepped through the door Jenna was on her like a shot. "Emily where have you been? I was worried sick!" She went to pull her youngest daughter in for a hug. Emily was not a touchy feely person. She pulled away from the contact, barely able to keep herself from glaring at the woman in front of her.

"I was bored. I went out." She shrugged like it was no big deal.

"You don't even know your way around Bristol!" Jenna's tone was condescending. You could have gotten lost or anything! You should have gone out with your sister if you were-"

"I don't need a babysitter!" Emily snapped, infuriated at being told off by a woman she hardly knew. "Maybe you should have been a little more worried about me when I was a baby!" She didn't care that she'd gone too far. She didn't care that Jenna's face fell and her eyes started watering up. She was the one who had been lied to for her whole life. She was the one who had been dumped in a strange city with people she didn't know. She stormed off upstairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily rolled out of bed Sunday around mid-day. The night before she had put her iPod on loud, shoved the earphones in her ears and ate one of the brownies Katie had left her while drinking her way through a bottle of vodka she'd stashed in her bag. Her head was pounding and she didn't feel like facing Jenna at all. She changed in to a pair of dark jeans and a band t-shirt before pulling on a hoodie. She made sure her aviators were in place before she went downstairs, hiding the dark circles that framed her eyes.

"Afternoon Emily." Jenna greeted her as she stepped foot in to the kitchen. It seemed like she was going for the age old trick of denying anything had happened last night. Emily wasn't going to push it.

"Hey." Her voice was more gravelly than it had been the day before and Jenna instantly picked up on the change.

"Are you all right sweetheart? You aren't coming down with anything are you? We don't want you missing your first day of college." Emily had no intentions of missing college. She was looking forward to seeing Naomi again. The blonde seemed pretty down to earth and as much as she didn't want to make any ties in Bristol it would be easier to get through the next few months there with at least one friend. She regretted not getting the blonde's number and considered asking Katie for it. Though the fact that Naomi had described them as 'reluctant acquaintances' had her inclined to believe Katie would not approve of her choice of friend.

"I'm fine." Emily replied as she uneasily stood in the kitchen doorway. She eyed the fridge warily.

"Can I get you anything?" Jenna seemed to pick up on her unease. "Coke?" She pulled a cold can out of the fridge and held it out to the teenager. Emily took it with a half-hearted _'thanks'_.

"This is your home now too Emily. You can help yourself to anything you want."

The redhead nodded, not trusting herself not to snap something back at her about it not being Emily's home. Jenna looked ready to push the 'this is your home too' speech when Emily's phone began screaming in her pocket. She pulled it out, a smile gracing her lips as the caller's name flashed on her screen. "Hey." She took the can of Coke with her as she made her way out in to the front garden to get some privacy. She sat on the doorstep, thankful her aviators were covering her eyes as the afternoon sun hit her square in the eyes. It was unseasonably warm for early February and the ice cold can in her hands was suddenly a lot more inviting. "I've been better, you? I know...I miss you too..." She began walking as she talked, so lost in conversation that she failed to notice which way she was going. When she finally hung up she had no idea where she was. "Fuck." She cursed, trying to regain her bearings. She had GPS on her mobile but even with the little red dot on the map telling her exactly where she was she was no further forward. Her finger hovered over her phone as she searched her contacts and found Jenna's number.

She didn't want to admit she had gotten herself lost, nor did she want to rely on the stranger for anything. "Hello Katie love." Emily's head snapped up to face the woman who had spoken. She was faced with a cheery middle-aged blonde woman. "Oh, I'm sorry dear. I thought you were someone else."

"I'm Emily." The redhead introduced herself, pocketing her mobile. "I'm sort of Katie's sister."

"Sort of?" The blonde picked up on her words with a puzzled expression. "You look like you could be twins- Oh, you're that Emily!" Had anyone else come out with something as ridiculous as that she would have scoffed and bit back with some scathing comment or another, but the bumbling blonde's smile seemed infectious and Emily found herself not wanting to offend her. She was glad she hadn't said anything when the woman came out with. "Naomi said she'd bumped in to you last night."

"Naomi?" Emily put two and two together and guessed the blonde woman was her mother. She couldn't help a small smile at the thought that the other girl had been talking to her mother about her.

"I'm Gina. Naomi's mum. Don't let my natural good looks fool you, I am actually old enough to have a seventeen year old daughter." She laughed and Emily laughed along with her good-naturedly.

"I can see where Naomi gets her looks from." As much as Emily struggled to converse with her own mother she was quite talented at charming other people's.

"Are you OK dear? Know your way back do you?" She seemed to pick up Emily's unease as she looked around the street, trying to remember which way she had come from.

"Not really, no." The redhead admitted, hoping that Gina knew Katie well enough to know where she lived.

"Hmm. That's a bit of a pickle." The blonde sympathised, though didn't offer any insight in to the way she should take. "Have you had lunch dear? I'm just up the road if you want to pop in for something to eat? Naomi's in, she'll be able to tell you how to get back. Might even take you if she's not being a lazy cow." Emily felt her stomach grumble and eagerly took Gina up on her offer of lunch. The house was literally just up the road but Emily still took it upon herself to take Gina's bags off of her and carry them in to the house.

She followed the blonde in to the kitchen and dumped the bags on the kitchen counter. "It's just Paella for lunch, don't really do the Sunday lunch thing I'm afraid."

"Sounds great...Can I use your bathroom?"

"Course love, it's just upstairs, second on the left." Emily followed Gina's directions and found the bathroom with ease, unfortunately it was already occupied.

"Shit. Sorry." She pulled the door back over, her cheeks colouring to a similar shade as her hair. The door opened a few moments later and Naomi emerged in a towel, wearing a similar blush. "I met your mum in the street and she invited me in for tea and...sorry." The redhead apologised again. She'd managed to walk in on the other girl just as she'd been wrapping a towel around herself.

"It's fine." The other girl mumbled as she ran a hand through her soaking wet hair, brushing it back out of her face. "I better...uh...clothes." She laughed nervously as she and Emily ended up doing an impromptu dance while trying to get past each other.

Naomi slammed her bedroom door behind her, cursing her mother as she threw on some clothes and towel dried her hair. Trust the dotty cow to go out to buy pasta and come back with a Fitch for dinner. At least she could be thankful it wasn't Katie that she'd brought back. Even her mother knew not to cross that line. By the time she was dressed, and had done the best she could with her hair, her mother was serving up in the kitchen. Emily sat on one side of the kitchen table while Kieran, her mother's boyfriend sat opposite. He seemed as uneasy as Emily. The redhead smiled as she caught sight of the familiar blonde. She mouthed another 'sorry' as Naomi took a seat beside Kieran.

Naomi returned the sentiment as Gina presented them both with a plate full of something that looked like mashed up newspaper coated in a cheese sauce. "I burnt the Paella. So it's cheese surprise!"

"The surprise is if you're still living tomorrow." Naomi muttered under her breath, earning a cheeky grin from the redhead sitting opposite her. Emily took one mouthful and felt her tongue recoiling at the taste. She toyed with the food on her plate, pushing it around with her fork.

"Well this tastes like crap." Naomi pushed her plate aside. "Pizza?"

"Sorry about mum. She can't really cook." Naomi apologised as they sat in her room sharing a pizza. "Can't really do much, the daft cow."

"She's nice." Emily defended the quirky blonde as she picked at her slice of pizza. "She thought I was Katie at first."

"It's an easy mistake to make. Once."

"Oh?" Emily picked up on the blonde's words like a bloodhound. "So you won't be calling me twat features in future then?" She teased, making the blonde's cheeks colour.

"No." Emily found herself grinning at the other girl's embarrassment. The blonde was cute when she wasn't scowling. "It's easy to spot the difference now. Your cheekbones are more prominent than Katie's- and there's your hair of course." She hastily added, aware the first comment had sounded a little personal.

"Of course." Emily found herself smirking as the other girl got her feet. She suddenly needed to put a little distance between the two of them.

"Drink?" She pulled out a bottle of vodka from her sock draw. "I just need to get some glasses." She made a hasty retreat out of her own room, leaving the redhead to explore her new surroundings.

There were posters advertising marches and protests on the walls, mixed with band posters and photographs. There were a couple of Katie, some were from as young as eight or nine, whereas others were more recent. In the recent ones they were always a part of a group. In one an attractive lanky brunette sat between them with one arm around Naomi and the other around Emily's twin. There were quite a few photos of Naomi and the brunette, they looked close. "Coke ok?" Emily jumped as Naomi returned carrying two glasses and a bottle of Cola.

"Yeah, great."

"That's Effy." She followed Emily's line of sight. "The blonde's Panda, and the guy next to her is Thomas. The curly haired kid's JJ, that's Freddie and he's Cook." She pointed out her and Katie's mutual friends from the photos on the wall as she handed over a glass of vodka and coke.

"You'll meet most of them tomorrow. Unless Cook drags us all out for an all-nighter, then you might be on your own with JJ." She shot Emily a look that told her she would definitely not enjoy a day stuck with JJ. "Oh and watch out for Cook. He'll try and fuck anything with a pulse."

"Charming." Emily rolled her eyes. She'd met plenty of boys like Cook before.

"So what are you doing at college then?" She took a seat on the blonde's bed again, glancing at the books on the shelf in the corner for an indication of what she was studying.

"Politics, Sociology, Art and History." The blonde answered as she tentatively took a seat on the other side of her bed.

"Impressive." Emily was glad to hear her new friend would be in at least three of her four classes. "Politics, Sociology, History and Psychology. So what do you want to be when you grow up?" The blonde laughed at the question as she took a large drink.

"I dunno. Political artist? President of the world maybe? How about you?"

"That's easy." Emily scoffed as she held the other girl's eye. "I don't plan on growing up. Failing that I'll go in to Sports Psychology...or give you a run for President of the World."

"I'd stick to Sports Psychology if I were you. I'd be a bad opponent. Dirty tactics and all that."

"Hmm." Emily nodded, as though giving it serious thought. "Well a smear campaign wouldn't be too hard. Giving that my Dad apparently abducted me, my mother's a stuck up bitch and my twin sister bakes brownies full of MDMA." A tension settled in the room following her words. Naomi tried to think of something to say to lighten the mood, but Emily beat her to it. "It's late. I should be getting back, Jenna's probably called the coast guard or something by now. I'll see you around, and good luck with running for President."

"You too." Naomi returned her smile, watching her as she left the room. The second the door closed she threw herself backwards on her bed and let out a deep sigh. She couldn't explain why the youngest Fitch had her on edge so much, but she felt a sense of relief at being on her own.

She sat bolt upright as her door opened a few seconds later. Emily sheepishly poked her head round the door.

"So...I still don't know where I live."

The walk back to the Fitch house took twenty minutes, and it was dark by the time Emily and Naomi got there. "You could have just told me the way. You didn't have to walk me." Emily stood in front of the house with her hands shoved in to her pockets and her shoulders hunched. She looked warily at the house, searching for any signs of Jenna. The living room light was on and the curtains drawn.

"Didn't want you getting lost again." Naomi shrugged. "Here." She held her hand out for Emily's phone as she pulled it out to check for any missed calls. Emily grinned, her usual cockiness returning.

"Not often I get pretty girls giving me their numbers." It was a lie, but Naomi didn't need to know that. She picked up Emily was flirting with her and felt herself blushing. She was damned if she was going to let a Fitch get one up on her though.

"Actually I was putting your address in to your GPS. Saves me walking you next time." With a smug little grin she was off, leaving Emily alone in front of the house.

The redhead smiled, for all she had a girlfriend there was no harm in flirting and the blonde had definitely caught her attention. She smirked as she checked her phone anyway and found a new number under the contact _President Naomi._

Once she was inside she found Katie and Jenna in the living room. They were curled up on the sofa watching a film and sharing a large bowl of popcorn.

"Hello love." Jenna smiled up at her while Katie looked at her warily, as though she was some wild animal that had just strayed in to her house. "We were just watching a DVD. It's just started if you want to join us?"

Emily had to admit her mother wasn't exactly the bitch she made her out to be. "Sure." She shrugged like it was no big deal, but she caught the elation on Jenna's face. The older woman finally felt like she was taking a step forward with her younger daughter.

"I'll get you some popcorn." She disappeared in to the kitchen to fetch another bowl.

"Good night?" Katie asked, barely tearing her eyes away from the screen.

"Yeah." Emily shrugged. "Thanks for the brownies yeah."

"Don't mention it." She replied, finally turning to face her younger twin and offering her a genuine smile. Emily felt her resolve breaking and she shot her a conspiratorial grin back as Jenna walked in carrying a large bowl of hot popcorn.

After the film ended she silently excused herself to her room and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts, coming to a stop at the latest edition. She typed a quick text, not really expecting a reply. "_Hey President Naomi. Thought you weren't giving me your number? Ems x." _Her cheek seemed to have earned her a response Naomi's name flashed up on her phone.

"_Hmm, shouldn't make assumptions then should you? x."_

"_Can I assume I'll see you at college tomorrow then? Or will you be off shagging Cook? x."_

"_Like fuck. See you in the morning. Some of us need our beauty sleep x."_

"_Some more than others! ;) x."_

"_Fuck off Fitch! Night x."_

Emily was ready to call it a night herself when her phone started ringing. Seeing her girlfriend's name flash up on the screen she lost her grin. She'd ignored her for most of the afternoon while at Naomi's and the last thing she wanted before bed was an argument about Emily's inability to answer her phone when it suited her. She knocked it on to voice mail, deciding she'd deal with it in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

"Fucks sake Katie! Hurry up!" Emily banged on the bathroom door for the third time that morning. Living with her dad she had never had to fight for time in the bathroom.  
"Chill babes, yeah?" The door opened and Katie stepped out in a fluffy pink bathrobe and matching slippers. She looked disdainfully at the oversized man's T-shirt that Emily had worn for bed. "Effy's picking us up for college in half an hour."  
"Great." Emily grumbled as she stormed in to the bathroom. She had less than half an hour to make herself presentable for her first day at college.

She took a quick shower and straightened her hair once it was dry. The redhead fussed over what to wear, pulling mountains of clothes out of their boxes before settling on a pair of low waist jeans, a black vest and a pink chequered shirt. She'd just pulled her pink Converse out of box full of DVDs when a car pulled up outside and tooted its horn. She glanced out her window and found an old Ford parked in the driveway. The slim brunette, Effy, sat in the driver's seat while Naomi sat in the back. Emily grinned, grabbing her bag she tackled the stairs two at a time. "Fucking hell. You're eager." Katie snapped as she pulled on her heels. She looked a total contrast to her twin in a short mini skirt and a leopard print top. "Don't know why. Roundview's a total shit hole." Emily ignored her, keeping silent until they were in the car. Katie took the front seat while her twin got in the back with Naomi.  
"Hey Naoms." She smiled at the blonde, catching Katie's attention.  
"You two know each other?" Her eyes narrowed on them in the rear view mirror.  
"Got lost in town Saturday night. Naomi showed me how to get back." Katie glared at Naomi but made no further comment. Effy broke the silence in the car as she turned around to get a good look at Emily.

"Hey...I'm Effy." Emily was aware she was being assessed like a piece of meat. Effy had an air of natural confidence around herself. The other girl was a player and the youngest Fitch could relate to that.  
"Emily."  
"I know." Effy turned her attention back to road as she put the car in to gear.

Naomi looked unimpressed by the exchange and turned her attention to the window, watching as the streets of Bristol whizzed past. Katie turned the radio up high, eliminating any chance of a conversation in the car. They pulled up at the College and found a group of three lads waiting for them. "Oi oi bitches!" The one Naomi had pointed out as Cook greeted them as they got out the car. "Fuckin' 'ell Katie-kins, your sister is fit as man!"  
"Put your dick away Cook." Effy rolled her eyes as he openly stared at Emily.  
"Easy Eff. There's plenty of the Cookie-monster to go around." He leered at Emily in a way that made her skin crawl. Cook definitely fancied himself. "So, what do you say Red? Fancy a ride?" He thrust his hips forward suggestively. Emily smirked as she stared down at his crotch.

"Sorry, I don't do kiddie rides." The group erupted in to laughter. Katie looked smug and even Naomi had a small smile on her lips. Cook laughed the loudest and slung his arm around Emily's shoulders as he started walking towards the college. "You're all-fucking-right Red!" He roared as they made their way up the front steps. Emily managed to wriggle free of his grip and hung back to catch up with Naomi.  
"Well he's-"  
"A prick?" The blonde supplied helpfully. They shared a giggle as they walked in to their shared form room. Katie barely hid her glare as Emily took the empty seat next to the blonde. She seemed to have a serious problem with the other girl. Before Emily could ask what her problem was the door swung open slamming against the wall. "Fuck." Kieran cursed as he juggled holding a stack of papers, a tattered briefcase and a hot cup of coffee. "Right, everyone here?" He scanned the small class and seemed happy that everyone was indeed there.

"Good. Keep yourselves entertained until the bell goes." He slumped behind his desk and started going through the stack of papers.  
"Um, excuse me Kieran." Katie was standing on her feet with a fake smile on her ruby lips. "I'd like to introduce the newest member of our class! My sister, Emily Fitch." Emily felt herself trying to shrink in to the desk as all eyes suddenly turned to her.  
"Yes. Right. Well then Emily, why don't you introduce _yourself. _Tell us something fascinating about your life." His voice dripped with sarcasm. Emily could have killed Katie on the spot. She didn't bother standing as Katie had but she turned to face the majority of the class.  
"My name is Emily Fitch. Like Katie said, I'm her twin sister. And I really don't want to be here."  
"Amen." Kieran seemed to agree with her sentiment. Katie was scowling again. The rest of the class were disinterested and quickly erupted in to chatter.

"It's not too bad here." Effy casually leant forward on her desk to talk to their newest class member. "We're going out to a club tonight...you should come."  
"Yeah. Maybe." Emily shrugged, not sure whether she wanted to spend time with her sister and her friends. Though Effy seemed okay, and Naomi too of course.  
"You're coming." Effy's confident tone left no room for argument and Emily found herself liking the other girl even more. "Naomi is." Effy's eyes twinkled with something close to mischief.  
"That's if she's not on another date." Katie sneered. "So come on then Campbell, who's the unlucky girl?"  
"Fuck off Fitch." Naomi growled at the eldest twin, her gaze murderous.  
"Oh I'm sorry. Ems doesn't know you're a raging lezza bitch does she?" Katie sat looking smug as Naomi's eyes widened in horror.  
"For the last time Katie, I'm not a fucking dyke!" She sounded disgusted with Katie and Emily felt something twisting in her gut. The bell rang at exactly the right moment and Emily nearly knocked her chair over as she got to her feet and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"Ems, where you going babes? We've got Psychology first." Katie called after her as she stormed out of the classroom. She made her way down several corridors and a flight of stairs before she came to a stop against a group of lockers. She slammed her fist in to one, cursing her ignorant twin, her uptight mother and her psychotic dead father. Her whole family was fucked up.

"Alright Red?" She let out a deep sigh as Cook appeared beside her. "Your sister can be a bit full on yeah? But the Cookie monster's all about the loving. You get me?" His grin reached from ear to ear as he leered at her.  
"Cook, I'm not fucking you." She sighed as she leant against the lockers.  
"Cause you're a raging lezza bitch, yeah?" Emily couldn't help but laugh at Cook's impersonation of Katie, attempted hair flick included.  
"Yeah." She crossed her arms, challenging Cook to say something about it.  
"Fine by me sweet-pea, you fuck who you want, and if you change your mind you know where to find me." He winked at her suggestively before pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "So psychology is that way." He pointed back up the stairs she had just come down. He placed a cigarette in his mouth, holding it loosely in place with his lips as he added "Pub's this way though."

The pub turned out to be ten minutes down the road from the college and owned by Cook's uncle. He was a greasy looking, overweight pensioner who tried too hard to charm Emily as she ordered a pint of cider and black. He had none of Cook's boyish charm, and came across more as a dirty old pervert. They'd just sat down at a table in the corner when Emily's phone went off. She expected a text from Katie asking where the hell she had disappeared too, but instead found one from Naomi.

_'You OK?'_

She sent a short sharp reply back of 'fine' as Cook rambled on about the latest girl he'd managed to shag in the back of some club. Cook was easy to get along with, he spoke to her like they had been friends for years, trying to rouse her in to talking about her own conquests. "So come on then Red, how many girls you shagged then?" He finally asked after they had been in the pub for an hour. Emily made a show of counting on both hands, much to Cook's amusement as he barked out a laugh like a hyena and slapped his leg in applause.  
"Three and a half." She finally admitted after a swift drink from her pint.  
"How the fuck do you have half a shag?" His expression twisted to one of confusion, like he was trying to figure out if she was pulling his leg or not.  
"This girl in a club right, we were dancing and kissing all night. Went to a booth in the corner, tried to take things a little further and she freaks out, my hand's up her skirt and down her-" She trailed off as she realised Cook wasn't paying attention to her. He was laughing at the expression on Naomi's face.

"Naomi-kins! Where you been? I text you a fucking hour ago! Pint?" He didn't wait for an answer as he jumped up to go to the bar. Emily felt her cheeks flushing. She would never normally talk so openly about the girls she had slept with, especially around new people who didn't even know she was gay, but Cook had been encouraging her and she had managed to make herself look like a total dick in front of Naomi.  
"I'm sorry-"  
"I'm sorry." The two girls laughed as they both spoke at once. "Sorry, you first." Naomi smiled at her, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair back behind her ear.  
"No, honestly, you first." Emily nervously toyed with the straw in her near empty pint glass as Naomi took a seat opposite her.  
"I'm sorry about before, with Katie. I know she's your sister and everything but we fight like cat and dog, it's just the way it is..."

"That's not why I left." Emily admitted sheepishly. She hated coming out to people. She had spent so long around the same group of people that it had been years since she'd had to justify her sexuality to anybody. She felt fourteen again, trying to tell her Dad she was gay and in love with the girl from down the street. Who it turned out was a little bi-curious anyway and had been Emily's first shag.  
"I figured." It was Naomi's turn to blush. She looked around expectantly, trying to place Cook. He was still at the bar talking to his uncle. She played with a beaded bracelet on her arm as she spoke. "I'm not a homophobe or anything...I mean it's fine if you're gay. I'm just...not." Emily felt some of the tension in her stomach melt away at the blonde's words. Her reaction to Katie's taunting had left Emily thinking she was some sort of gay hating bigot, when in fact she had just been sick of Katie getting on her case. So it was just her sister who was the homophobe.

"I am...gay. It's just been a while since I've had to tell anyone you know? And I get it, Katie can be...overwhelming." Emily laughed as Naomi eagerly nodded in agreement. Cook chose that moment to return, carrying a tray with three pints of cider and black and six tequila chasers.  
"Drink up girlies! It's party time!" He took two of the shots straight away before downing his pint. Naomi rolled her eyes, dismissing this as normal Cook behaviour. Emily followed suit, offering Naomi a challenging smile.  
"Getting pissed on the first day of college, great first impression." Naomi's tone was dry and unimpressed, but she took a shot anyway.  
"Fuck college." Cook dismissed the blonde, taking the second shot she had left.

Emily shrugged. "I've got an unconditional placement to do Sociology at Newcastle Uni."  
"Impressive." Naomi took a small sip of her cider. "So you're going back to Newcastle then?"  
"Yeah. All my friends are back there...and my girlfriend." She added, almost as an afterthought.  
"What's she like then, this girl of yours? Good in bed?" Cook quizzed, once again turning the conversation to Emily's sex life.  
"She's...she's great. She helped me keep it together when my Dad..." Emily trailed off, staring absently in to her empty glass. It had barely gone eleven o'clock and she'd already had enough stress in the day to last her the week. "I'm not feeling well. I think I'm going to go home and lie down-"  
"You're coming out the night though, yeah? It'll be a right laugh!" Cook wasn't about to let her get away that easily.  
"Yeah, maybe." She repeated the response she had given to Effy earlier. Truth be told she had no intention of going out. She needed some time on her own to try and clear her head.

"Do you need me to walk you back?" Naomi asked, keen to get away from Cook before he could drag her in to an all-day drinking session.  
"Yes please. I really need to learn where I live." The redhead lied, knowing full well her new house was saved to her mobile. Once they were outside she reminded Naomi of this fact. "I just didn't want to be stuck with Cook all day." She admitted with a small laugh. "I can still walk you if you want? Think I'm going to skip the rest of the day. Katie's getting on my tits as it is without a double of Art with her this afternoon."  
"I'm sorry Naomi, I just need some time to myself right now...I..."  
"It's okay." The blonde put a comforting hand on her shoulder and flashed her a sympathetic smile. "Maybe I'll see you later, yeah?"  
"Yeah, maybe. See you around."


	5. Chapter 5

"Good day sweetheart?" The second Emily walked through the door Jenna was on her. She stood in the hall, wearing an apron and oven gloves. Emily shrugged. She had free afternoons on a Wednesday and had spent the afternoon walking around town, putting off going back to Jenna's for as long as she could. She had been living in Bristol for over two weeks, and as much as she was trying to settle in to her new home she still tried to spend as little time around Jenna as she could. "Did you get much done at the library?"  
"Uh...yeah." The redhead lied, knowing only Katie could have said she was at the library. "Loads."

She made her excuses to get past Jenna and went straight upstairs. She paused as she reached Katie's door. It was open, but she still knocked anyway. Inside she found her twin lying on her bed with a copy of some glossy fashion magazine. The room was a pastel pink with posters of guys and photos of friends and family all over. There were stuffed animals on a shelf above her bed and she was lying with her head on top of a giant shaggy cushion in the shape of a neon pink heart. Emily was suddenly grateful for the plain white walls of her new room. "Hey." She stood awkwardly at the door, waiting for Katie to acknowledge her.  
"Hey." She sat up and tossed her magazine aside on the bed.  
"Thanks. For telling Jenna I was at the library..."

"No biggie." Katie shrugged. "She freaked out when I came home without you. I think she wants you to be my fucking shadow or something." The other girl seemed as pleased with that prospect as Emily herself. Jenna didn't seem to grasp that, for all they were twins, they were two very different teenage girls who had been thrown in to each other's lives. It wasn't like they would just instantly click and start braiding each other's hair while swapping stories about boys. "Look Ems, I know you're my sister and if you want to hang around with me and my friends, or skip college and disappear all afternoon, then that's fine. I know mum wants us to be like best friends or something, but, like, right now you're just a stranger, yeah?"

"Yeah." Emily felt a sense of relief at the revelation that Katie felt the same way she did. It was all very well for Jenna to instantly accept her long lost daughter in to her life. It was easy for her to look at Emily and see her as her daughter, because she looked like Katie. It would be different if Emily hadn't of been a twin. Would Jenna have been so embracing if, like Emily, she only had a fifteen year old photograph to go from? The youngest twin had grown up knowing her mother through a single photograph of Jenna holding her in her arms when she was only a few months old. She had kept the picture by her bed since she was two years old. That was until she had found out the truth, that her mother was still alive. Now the battered old photo frame lay at the bottom of one of the boxes Emily's life had been packed up in to. "Thanks Katie." She wasn't just thanking her for covering for her with Jenna.  
"Ems?" Katie called after her as she walked back out the room towards her own. "You coming out tonight, yeah?" Emily stood at her own door, contemplating whether to stay in and mope or to make more of an effort with getting to know her sister; even if she was a loud mouth bigot.  
"Yeah, sure."

Once she was in the safety of her own room she closed the door and set about unpacking and claiming the room as her own. She had put it off for long enough. She rummaged through boxes, pulling out clothes to go in the wardrobe and DVDs and books to go in to stacks on the floor until she could get some shelves sorted out. At the bottom of one of the smaller boxes she found a bunch of photos, as well as the two photo frames missing from the side of her bed. One was the old picture of her and Jenna and the other was a more recent one of Emily and her dad. She took out the photographs and left the picture frames where they were before pushing the box deep under her bed. Out of sight and out of mind. She stuck the photos of her friends up on the wall beside her bed. There were pictures of her from her school days, from nights out with friends and picnics at the beach. There wasn't a single shot of her dad among them. Those pictures had stayed in the box. She could no longer look at the man who had raised her singlehandedly. Everything she had ever known had been a lie. She had only heard part of the story from her Dad's solicitor as he read a letter her father had left with his will. She wasn't even sure why he had left her a letter explaining what he had done. She would have been quite happy believing both her parents were dead, rather than finding out the truth and being dragged halfway across the country to live with her suddenly not-dead mother until she was eighteen.

Part of her wanted to know Jenna's side of the story. She wanted to know why her mother had never looked for her. Why her dad had only taken her and not Katie. Why he'd left Jenna and his life in Bristol in the first place. Equally another part of her did not want to know the answer to any of these questions. What little of the truth she did know had already tormented her and destroyed the relationship she had had with her dad. She wasn't sure she could handle finding out anything else. She jumped at a knock on her door, her fingers hovering over a particular picture taken last year at college. "Emily?" She was grateful at least that it was Katie invading her solitude, not Jenna. "We're going over to Eff's for a drink before we go out. Be ready in an hour, yeah? Oh, and dress up, 'kay? It's bad enough Panda gets us ID-eed." With that she flounced out of the room to get ready herself.

She rummaged through her wardrobe to find something to wear, contrary to whatever Katie thought, she knew how to dress for a night out. She found a black cherry print cocktail dress, one of her favourites, and changed in to it. She curled her hair so that it hung around her shoulders in loose crimson curls, and did her make-up, before slipping her feet in to a pair of black high heels, adding a few inches to her meagre height. She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time before pulling out the bottle of Vodka she'd stashed under her bed. There wasn't much left after the weekend but she still made her way to Katie's room with it. She knocked before letting herself in. Katie was still sitting in a towel doing her make-up.  
"Peace offering?" Emily held the bottle up with a smile. Katie seemed more interested in what she was wearing than what she was holding.  
"Shit Ems, you look fucking gorgeous." She grinned in approval.  
"Thanks, you too." Katie had her hair down and curled as well. Despite the hair colour, and Katie's cheeks being a little more round, Emily could have been staring in to a mirror.

She took a straight shot out of the bottle before passing it to Katie. She took it and drank what was left. "Got a full bottle under my bed." She explained before Emily could kick off. "Do me a favour babes and get some glasses yeah?" The redhead made her way downstairs and in to the unfamiliar kitchen and began opening cupboards in search of glasses. She was bent over looking in to one of the cupboards when Jenna walked in.  
"Katie luv, keep an eye on Emily tonight please-"  
"Eh, It's me." She stood up, holding two glasses and offered Jenna an awkward smile.  
"Oh, sorry dear. I thought you were Katie. I hope you have fun at Pandora's tonight. It was nice of her to invite you along to meet the girls, but remember it is a school night, don't stay up too late. I know what you young girls are like, staying up all night and talking about boys."  
"I won't. Promise." She guessed her mother was as oblivious to her sexual preferences as Katie was.  
"You look lovely by the way." Jenna beamed, acting every bit the doting mother.  
"Thanks."

Emily made a hasty retreat from the kitchen, armed with two glasses. Katie was finally dressed by the time she got back upstairs. She was wearing a short black skirt that barely covered her thighs and a low cut top covered in shiny sequins. She'd already opened the vodka and poured a generous amount in to Emily's glass for her to catch up. "Mum thinks we're staying at Panda's tonight, so we'll probably just get fucked up and stay at Eff's."  
"Sounds fun." Emily was beginning to have second thoughts about agreeing to go out. Her reservations started to slip away as her phone went off. Naomi had sent a text asking if she was out.  
"Drink up Em, taxi's here." Katie downed her own glass, barely wincing as the straight vodka went searing down her throat. Emily followed suit. Downstairs Katie kissed Jenna goodbye on the cheek. Jenna made to do the same with Emily, but the younger girl stepped out of the way and opened the door. The other woman seemed to take the hint and simply said goodbye instead.

The taxi ride to Effy's was quite short and Katie seemed to know the driver as she chatted non-stop to him. When they pulled up outside of the terrace house Effy lived in Katie Emily made her way up the garden and knocked on the door, leaving Katie to carry on talking to the man. When the door opened a middle aged blonde with a fag hanging out of her mouth smiled at her. "Hello Katie, luv. Oh, I like your hair. Come on in. Effy and the girls are just upstairs."  
"I'm not Katie. I'm Emily." The redhead explained as the blonde ushered her inside and shut the door behind her.  
"Don't be daft Katie, I know your bleeding name. You practically lived here over summer. Drink?" She walked off in to the kitchen with Emily following her. She handed her a glass and filled it to the brim with wine.  
"I'm Emily, Katie's sister."  
"Oh ha, ha. What's this? Wind up Anthea day?" The woman, who Emily could only presume was called Anthea, laughed as she topped up her own glass. Emily heard the door open again and was relieved when Katie walked in to the kitchen.  
"Hey Anthea." Katie came in to the kitchen followed by Effy.  
"Fucking hell, you weren't kidding." The blonde looked between the two girls and then back to her own daughter. She polished off her glass of wine and refilled it before adding, "Who's this then?  
"Emily." All three girls answered her.  
"Katie's twin." Effy added in a tone that said she'd explained all of this to her mother before.  
"The dead one?"

Emily almost choked on her wine. Had Katie told her friends her twin was dead to hide what their dad had done? Or had she genuinely thought Emily was dead? Had Jenna told her that? Katie looked mortified and looked to Effy to sort her mother out. "She's not dead anymore."  
"That's nice dear. Nice to meet you anyway Emily. You girls have fun." She stumbled out of the kitchen, carrying a bottle of wine in one hand and clutching her cigarette in the other.

"Ignore her." Effy dismissed her drunken mother and led the twins upstairs to her room. Naomi and Panda were already inside. Panda was sitting on Effy's bed, drinking a Barcardi Breezer, while Naomi was sitting cross legged on the floor with a glass of wine. She smiled at Emily, completely ignoring Katie. "Hi."  
"Hey." Emily took a seat beside her. Her mind was elsewhere as she thought about what Anthea had said. Had Jenna told Katie that Emily was dead? Just as their dad had told Emily her mother was dead. Or had Jenna truly thought Emily was dead? Was that why she had never come looking for her?  
"Ems?" She jumped as Naomi's fingers brushed against her bare arm. "You okay?"  
"Yeah." She lied, forcing a smile on to her lips. Effy and Katie had disappeared back out of the room and Pandora seemed to be in a world of her own. Naomi followed her line of sight.  
"She's had a few draws off a joint and two alcopops. She's off her tits."  
"Must be nice." Emily mused, feeling the need to get off her head herself. The sooner they got out to the club the better.

Naomi looked over to see what Pandora was up to before slipping something out of her pocket. There were four small white pills in a bag. "MDMA." The blonde answered before Emily could ask. She could have kissed the blonde there and then. She took one of the pills and washed it down with her wine. Naomi did the same. They shared a conspiratorial giggle as Effy and Katie walked back in the room. "Try not to molest my sister, gay-lord." Katie snapped, her mood had turned sour since Anthea's outburst.  
"Fuck you Katie." Naomi shot back. She could have easily mentioned Emily being gay, but she kept silent.  
"Katie." Effy rolled her eyes with a practised ease, as though playing referee for the two girls was common place. "Chill the fuck out." She shot Emily a smirk, as though she could see right through her and knew exactly what she was thinking. "Tonight's about showing Emily a good time."

The club was packed for a Monday night and the music wasn't too bad. Emily felt herself relaxing as the MDMA began to kick in. She even gave Cook a hug as she found him in the middle of the dance floor. "EMILEEEE!" He screamed over the music, jumping up and down and the spot as he raved to the techno beat pounding through the club. She wasn't sure whether he was high on life or something else, but she went along with him, laughing as he wrapped his arms around her. He tried to kiss her and she pulled away, laughing and shaking her head.  
"Fuck off Cook!" He cradled his hands to his chest, leaning in close to shout in her ear.  
"Ems! You're breaking my fucking heart girl!"

She punched him playfully in the arm, grinning as she caught Naomi's gaze from the bar. The blonde scowled at Cook, keeping a watchful eye over Emily. "I get it! You want Naomi-kins!" He roared with laughter as though he'd just told her the funniest joke in existence.  
"Fuck off." She repeated, her tone a little harsher. She had to admit the blonde was gorgeous, but she wasn't single and Naomi was straight. Not to mention Katie's teasing of the other girl, the last thing she needed was that kind of attention from Emily.

"Good luck tapping that Ems." He slapped her on the back, still laughing as he disappeared in to the crowd to find another girl to hit on. Pushing his words to the back of her mind she began to make her way over to the bar to talk to the blonde. She was stopped halfway as a girl a few years older than her began dancing in front of her. She was a tall blonde with a short pixie cut and ripped jeans. She smirked as she caught Emily's eye and began dancing up close and personal, grinding their bodies together. The MDMA had fully kicked in and Emily giggled as the blonde slipped behind her. She started to dance with the girl, enjoying the buzz and the contact of the blonde's body pressed firmly against her. She threw her arms up in the air, giving herself over to the music and not doing anything to stop the blonde as her arms snaked around her waist.

The older girl bent her head in close to Emily's ear, she shivered at the contact, it had been a long time since she'd seen her girlfriend and her body felt over-sensitized. "I'm Haley." Her breath was warm and heavy against Emily's neck.  
"Emily." She shouted back, craning her neck around so that the blonde could hear her. Haley moved to kiss her, but the redhead pulled away. She wasn't a cheater. "Girlfriend!" She shouted, struggling to be heard over the music. Haley didn't seem to hear her, she held her hand up to her ear. Emily rolled her eyes and stepped in closer to shout. The blonde grinned as she closed the distance and stole a quick kiss. She laughed as she pulled away.  
"Shame!" She threw the smaller girl a wink.

Emily was still laughing as she made her way over to Naomi. The other blonde was definitely a player. Naomi seemed to have watched the entire thing. "What was that?" She glared at the blonde on the dance floor. She'd moved on to another girl and had her tongue down her throat.  
"Some girl trying it on." She laughed, swiping Naomi's drink as the bartender took too long to get to her. She ordered two more and some shots as chasers. "She was cute." Emily looked back over her shoulder at Haley, for all she was dancing with someone else she was still looking over at Emily.  
"Yeah if you like peroxide blondes." Naomi sneered. Emily was pretty sure it was the drugs or the drink, but she leant in close, her lips brushing against Naomi's earlobe as they formed a smirk.  
"I have a thing for blondes."


	6. Chapter 6

"You okay?" Effy had picked up on Naomi's unease and called her on it as they stood outside smoking. The blonde shrugged her slender shoulders, her gaze unfocused from the drink and the drugs.

"What do you think of Emily?" She finally asked. Effy answered her with one of her trademark know it all smirks.

"She's as gay as the day is long." The brunette shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't think Katie knows. She'll probably freak out."

"Yeah." Naomi laughed bitterly. "She probably will...Emily seems nice though. What?" She snapped as Effy's smirk widened. The other girl shook her head as she took a long draw and then flicked her fag end away.

"Careful Campbell, you almost sound like you care." Effy teased, earning a scowl from the blonde.

"Yeah well, makes a change. A Fitch who isn't a bitch."

"Katie's had a hard time." Effy scorned, for all Katie could be a bitch she was still her friend. "For fucks sake Naomi, she's lost her dad twice."

"So I'm supposed to forget she made my life a living hell in high school, just because her fucking Dad got himself killed?"

"Actually it wasn't his fault. It was a drunk driver." Naomi felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as Emily stood in front of them, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. Her eyes were red and she looked close to tears. "The tosser lost control of the car and he hit my dad. He was in intensive care for four days before he died."

"Emily, I'm sorry-"

"Forget it." The redhead didn't wait around for the other girl's apology. She stormed back in to the club, intending to get so drunk she forgot all about her fucked up family. Naomi tried to approach her inside, but she ignored her and instead chose to dance with Cook and down shots with Katie and Effy. By the time they were waiting for their taxi home she was barely conscious.

Panda had gone home less than an hour after they'd got to the club and so it was just the four girls going back to Effy's. Effy and Naomi sat sharing a tab while Katie was off to the side with her tongue shoved down some random guy's throat. Emily sat with her phone in her hands, barely able to make out the words she was typing to her girlfriend. She gave up when even the predictive text on her phone couldn't work out what she was trying to type.

The taxi ride was quiet and uneventful. She sat in the front seat while the others sat in the back. Naomi was in the back, glaring out of the window and trying to block out Katie as she talked non-stop about the 'fit' bloke she'd pulled. Emily was grateful to get back to Effy's, just to get some space from her sister and her endless chatter. Effy lead them upstairs and indicated the room next door to hers to Emily. "You and Naomi can sleep in Tony's room. He's away at uni."

"Night babes." Katie pulled her younger twin in for a tight hug before she could protest. She reluctantly wrapped her arms around the other girl before pulling away and mumbling a goodnight. Inside Effy's brother's room the two girls stood silently. Naomi was used to sharing the double bed with Panda, not Katie Fitch's gay twin sister. She excused herself to the bathroom to get changed for bed. Usually, while in the comfort of her own bed she slept naked, but she changed in to a pair of shorts and an oversized T-shirt for bed. When she got back in to the room Emily was shimmying out of her dress. She stood unashamedly in her bra and knickers, her pale skin gleaming like porcelain in the dark. Naomi cleared her throat to let her know she was back in the room. "Um...Effy's brother has some T-shirts here if you want one for bed?" Naomi crossed the room and pulled out a man's T-shirt for Emily. She took it wordlessly from the blonde and pulled it down over her head. It hung on her like a dress. The other girl looked small and vulnerable. Her eyes were still red and puffy, not that anyone had noticed in the darkness of the club or the low light of the taxi, but Naomi was close enough to see how upset the other girl was.

"Emily, I'm really sorry-"

"Naomi. Please." She sighed and seemed to deflate even more. Her usual confidence was gone, replace by insecurity and grief.

"It's okay to be sad Emily. I know it's not the same, but I lost my dad too. He walked out on my mum when I was little-"

"Yeah, but he didn't fucking abduct you did he?" The other girl snapped, anger replacing her grief.

"No. I'm sorry-"

"Stop fucking apologising!" She climbed in to bed, pulling the duvet right up to her chin and turning her back on the blonde. Naomi gave up trying to sort things out while Emily was drunk and got in to bed. She lay perched on the opposite side of the bed, as far away from the other girl as possible. It was different sharing the familiar bed with Emily rather than Panda. Panda wasn't gay for a start. She lay in the darkness, trying her hardest to fall asleep.

"Anthea thought I was dead." Emily's quiet voice startled her after lying in silence for so long. She thought the other girl had fallen asleep. "Was that what Katie told you all?" Once upon a time, a million years ago, Katie and Naomi had been best friends. She knew that Emily should have been asking Katie or Jenna, but she couldn't wait any longer for answers and so the blonde answered her.

"Until a few weeks ago Katie thought you were dead. Jenna too." The smaller girl held back a sob as Naomi's words sunk in. She'd been so quick to blame Jenna for letting her dad just take her, that she hadn't questioned whether Jenna had even known her youngest daughter was still alive.

"Your dad was depressed. He was in a lot of debt too." The blonde carried on, knowing Emily needed her to. "Jenna had to take Katie to the doctor's, she had a fever or something, so Jenna left you with your dad and when she came back the two of you were gone, and so was the car. The police found it a few hours later, it had crashed in to a warehouse and caught fire. The police were pretty sure the two of you had been in it...They told Jenna you were dead...Katie, well Katie always blamed herself, for getting sick. You should probably talk to _them_ about this though."

"Thank you." Emily mumbled in to her pillow, she rolled over to face Naomi. She was coming down from the MDMA and the drink and she could barely keep her eyes open.

She groaned as her phone started ringing. Reaching over she picked the phone up from the floor. She knocked it on to voice mail, too tired to talk to anyone. "Girlfriend?" Naomi guessed correctly. "So, what's she like then? Blonde?" The other girl felt the need to try and lighten the mood, teasing the red head with the earlier comment she'd made to her. Emily chuckled, shaking her head.

"Brunette." She answered, her voice regaining some of its usual confidence.

"I thought blondes were more your thing?" Naomi teased, only realising how flirtatious that sounded once it was too late. Emily shot her a coy smile and suddenly the bed seemed a lot smaller. Emily's bare leg was brushing against her own.

Her voice was husky as she answered. "They are." She was close enough so that her hot breath tickled against Naomi's cheek, sending shivers down the other girl's spine. The blonde swallowed hard, tearing her gaze away from the small redhead. It was the drink or the drugs, or the fact that Emily had been upset. She hadn't meant to flirt with her. Not really.

"Goodnight." The blonde rolled over, putting as much distance between herself and Emily as she could without actually falling out of the bed.

Naomi woke up with her face cuddled in to something warm and soft. She cracked her eyes open, ignoring the stabbing pain in her head and the dryness in her mouth. She groaned as she realised she had rolled over in the night and buried her face in the crook of Emily's neck. The smaller girl's skin was searing hot. Naomi rolled over, disentangling herself from Emily's. Her own side of the bed was refreshingly cool and she stretched out her stiff limbs. Her arm brushed against Emily's and the smaller girl stirred. She grumbled something and rolled over, her arm wrapping around Naomi's waist. "Fuck." The blonde sighed. She was nowhere near ready to get out of bed, but she had no other choice. Slipping out from under the covers she silently crept out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Morning." Effy caught her sneaking out of the room and offered her a sly smile. "Eventful night?"

"Fuck you Stonem." The blonde was not a morning person.

"You wish Campbell."

"Oh I forgot, that's Katie's job-"

"Fuck off dyke." Katie emerged from the bathroom wearing the shortest pink shorts Naomi had ever seen. "Where's Ems? You better not have fucking tried it on with her-"

"Children." Effy scorned. "Too early." It was past noon, but her head was pounding and she was in no mood to play mediator for the two quarrelling girls. Emily had the right idea, staying in bed.

"I'm fucked. Going back to bed anyway." Katie grumbled, shoving past Naomi to get back in to the refuge of Effy's room.

"Fuck it. Me too." Naomi could entertain herself while Effy went back to bed.

"Could you two make it any more obvious that you're shagging?" The blonde rolled her eyes, not looking forward to the prospect of spending the afternoon with Anthea while the rest of them slept. Effy smirked as she stood at her door, her long lean frame resting casually against it.

"Jealous?" She winked at the blonde before disappearing back in to her room and closing the door behind her. Naomi shook her head. Sometimes Naomi seriously wondered whether Effy was really teasing or not.

Emily was getting used to waking up in strange rooms and unfamiliar beds. The afternoon sun was shining straight in to her eyes and making the headache she had woken up with twice as painful. She rolled out of bed, aware she was wearing someone else's T-shirt. Her clothes were in a pile on the floor and she quickly changed back in to them, running a hand through her unruly hair. She vaguely remembered waking up sometime in the early hours of the morning and finding herself entangled with Naomi Campbell. She had felt a sense of panic at waking up with the blonde so close. It had taken her a few moments to remember why she was sharing a bed with the other girl, and that they had not slept together. It had been a long time since Emily Finch had shared a bed with a girl purely to sleep. She was grateful she had woken up alone.

She made her way downstairs and found Naomi in the living room. "Hey." She offered Emily a wary smile, unsure of what kind of mood she'd be in with a hangover.

"Hey." The redhead returned the smile and took a seat beside her on the small sofa. "Where's everybody else?"

"Anthea's at work. Katie and Effy went back to bed. Think they had the right idea." The blonde grumbled as she let out a loud yawn.

"Know what you need?" Emily seemed far too awake for having just rolled out of bed.

"A shower?" The blonde shot back, aware she wasn't exactly looking her best after the previous night out.

"Maybe later. But, no. Chocolate cake! Nothing cures a hangover like cake!"

"I don't think Eff has any in, and I'm not walking to the shop."

Emily's nose crinkled as she furrowed her brow. "Come on." She took hold of Naomi's hand and dragged her to her feet, ignoring the blonde's protests. She found the kitchen again and let go of Naomi to raid the cupboards. She found everything she was looking for, except chocolate. "Bollocks." She grumbled. "Cake without chocolate is pointless."

"Wait here." Naomi disappeared upstairs, returning with a large bar of _Galaxy _chocolate. "It's the time of the month when I need to carry chocolate and Prozac with me everywhere I go." The blonde answered Emily's questioning look. Emily took it with a large grin and set about mixing the ingredients she had found in to a glass bowl. In less than an hour she presented Naomi with a large slice of chocolate cake. The blonde took a bite and let out a low moan.

"Fuck me Ems." The blonde exclaimed, her face lighting up with delight. "That's gorgeous!"

The redhead shrugged, a small smile making its way on to her lips. "Living with my dad, I sort of had to become a domestic goddess, or live on Pot Noodles."

"Domestic goddess?" Naomi teased her for her lack of modesty as she helped herself to more cake. "Any other hidden talents then Fitch?"

"Well there's this thing I can do with my tongue..." Emily trailed off as she realised she was flirting with her self-proclaimed straight friend. Something she didn't tend to make a habit of. The blonde laughed it off, but an unmistakable tension settled between them.

"You're girlfriend's very lucky." If Emily didn't know the other girl was straight she would think she was flirting with her. "Having you to make her cake like this."

"Cake?" Effy chose the perfect moment to walk in to the kitchen. She homed in on the chocolate cake on Naomi's plate and helped herself to a bite. "Mmmm. This is good." Coming from Effy that was practically a standing ovation.

"Where's Katie then?" Naomi quizzed. "All shagged out is she?"

"Left her tied to the bed. She loves it, the dirty bitch." Effy shot her a wink, smirking as Emily choked on her own cake.

"You wish Stonem." Katie walked in to the kitchen, still wearing her pyjamas.

"How did you get out?" Effy asked with a serious expression on her face, earning a scowl from the eldest twin. Effy didn't take the hint and continued to tease her. "I'm going to have to tie those knots tighter."

"Join the scouts?" Naomi suggested, barely able to keep a straight face.

"Just fuck off will you?" Katie snapped. She turned her back on them and stormed out of the kitchen. Effy went to stand up, but Emily put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"No. I'll go. Got to get used to this sisterly stuff."

She left the other two girls in the kitchen and made her way up to Effy's room. She knocked once before opening the door. "Just leave me the fuck alone Eff! You're not funny- Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"I dunno." Emily admittedly honestly. "Your my sister and you're pissed off, so...want to talk?"

"No." Katie huffed, and there was nothing Emily could really say back to that. "But thanks, yeah?"

"No problem." When Emily walked out of the room Effy was already waiting at the door. She offered Emily a smile that seemed to say _'nice try' _and closed the door behind her as she went inside to talk to Katie. Leaving her to it the youngest twin went back to the room she'd spent the night in. "Fuck!" She turned around and walked back out. The door opened and Naomi emerged, fully dressed and scowling.

"Do you have some sort of sixth fucking sense about when I'm naked?"

"Yes. It's a gift and a curse." Emily couldn't help her smart arse reply. Surprisingly Naomi cracked a smile in response.

"Well if you're finished perving over my arse I'm going back to mine for lunch. Mum's made plenty if you want to come?"

"Depends, if I promise to stop walking in on you naked, will I still have to eat your mum's cooking?" Emily teased, enjoying the way the blonde's lips curled up as she laughed in response.

"Afraid so."

"Well I'm not promising anything then."


	7. Chapter 7

"Afternoon girls." Gina beamed at the two girls as they walked through the door. "Lunch won't be long. How was your night?" Naomi gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, too busy raiding the fridge for something sugary to answer her.  
"It was great." Emily at least gave her a verbal answer as she took a seat at the kitchen table. She gave Naomi a grateful smile as she handed her a can of Lucozade. Whatever Gina was cooking smelt delicious. Emily just hoped it would be edible.  
"o0o...Any cute boys? Or girls?" Gina smiled at the redhead slumped at her kitchen table. It seemed the eldest Campbell didn't miss a thing.  
"You had that blonde trying it on all night." Naomi pointed out, her tone light and teasing and part of Emily's brain wandered back to their conversation about her preference for blondes. "The girl, not just Cook."  
"And my girlfriend texting me all night." Emily added, a slight edge to her voice. "Takes all the fun out of it."  
"Ah, to be young free and single again." Gina mused. "You've got the right idea luv." Her comment was directed towards Naomi and the young blonde frowned.  
"I'm not some fucking single old spinster. I had a date Saturday night!"  
"Weren't you with Emily Saturday night?" Gina looked confused. "Something you want to tell me?"  
"No!" Naomi snapped, shooting her mother a glare. "I was supposed to be meeting a guy from college. He stood me up."  
"Well Max is obviously an idiot. Don't you agree Emily?"

The redhead had been dozing with her head and the table and looked up with a dazed expression. "Hmm? Oh yeah. Complete idiot." She put her head back down on the table. She'd drank far too much the previous night and it was beginning to catch up on her. Once it hit three o'clock she'd go back home to bed. She could at least pretend she and Katie had been to college.  
"You alright luv? You look a bit peaky." Emily stiffened as Gina placed a hand on her forehead. Naomi looked mortified and opened her mouth to snap at her mother. Emily cut her off before she could get any words out.  
"I'm fine. Just hungover." She stifled a yawn.  
"Have a lie down after dinner. I'm sure Naomi wouldn't mind having you in her bed." Gina beamed innocently, apparently missing her own innuendo. The youngest blonde made no comment, suddenly becoming very interested in the can of pop she was holding as a blush spread over her cheeks.

After lunch they went up to Naomi's room and she stood awkwardly in front of her bed. She looked as tired as Emily felt. "I can go, if you want?" Emily indicated the door, picking up on the other girl's unease. The blonde shook her head as she pulled the duvet back and kicked off her shoes.  
"Jenna will be home soon. She'll have kittens if she thinks you're skipping. Stay…just for an hour or something."  
"Ok." Emily kicked her own shoes off, cursing the heels. "Thanks." She smiled as Naomi handed her a t-shirt to change in to, it was a little long on her small frame and went down past her thighs as she slipped out of her dress.  
"Sorry I don't have any PJs for you…I sleep naked…which you didn't need to know." The blonde's blush deepened. It didn't seem to be going any time soon.  
"Me too." Emily smirked, enjoying the way the blonde couldn't hold her gaze. She couldn't help flirting with the other girl. After all she was gorgeous, and there was definitely a spark of chemistry between them. For all they were relative strangers she felt comfortable around the blonde. Climbing in to bed with Naomi for the second time in as many days she giggled and pulled her feet away from the blonde's. "Your bloody feet are freezing!"

"Yeah well, you sing in your sleep!" Naomi shot back, laughing as Emily's eyes grew wide and she fiercely denied the accusation. "You do too! I had to listen to _Humpty Dumpty_ all night long!" Emily buried her head under the pillow, groaning in embarrassment. While she hadn't known she sang nursery rhymes in her sleep she did have a habit of talking in it. The two girls fell asleep rather quickly, after the giggling died down and Emily did another round of _Humpty Dumpty. _When Emily woke up her groggy mind registered two things. The first was that it was dark outside, again, and the second was that once again she was tangled up with Naomi. The blankets were wrapped around the two of them, adding to Emily's imprisonment. She managed to turn over and groped blindly in the dark for her mobile. Her fingers brushed against it and after another shuffle she managed to grab it. "Fuck." She hissed as she realised the time. It was after nine at night and Jenna had rang her phone six times. She had a text from a number she didn't recognise and opened it with a frown.

'_Told Mum ur stayin Eff's with me. U owe me. Katie xx.' _

She sent a quick thank you back and saved the number. Her back and her legs felt stiff from lying in bed all afternoon. Slipping out of bed Emily stretched her aching muscles. Her mouth was dry and her stomach was rumbling. She silently padded over to the chest of drawers in the corner of the room and managed to find a pair of sweatpants. The legs hung a good three inches over her feet and she had to roll them up so she wouldn't trip over them. She left Naomi in bed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She found Gina raiding the fridge. "Hello dear. Nice sleep?" She nodded in response as she was overcome by a yawn. "Hungry? I'm making cheese on toast." Gina potted about the kitchen making enough cheese on toast to feed a small army. She handed Emily a plate full along with a cup of camomile tea. Emily liked the oldest Campbell. She seemed to instantly take to people without judging them. She apparently had no problems with her daughter sharing her bed with a lesbian she'd only known for a few days. "Grumpy knickers still asleep is she? Emily snorted in to her tea with laughter.  
"Yeah. She's flat out." Emily answered as she toyed with a slice of toast.  
"Must be hard. New city, new school…new family." The blonde sat down at the table with her own cup of tea. "Katie's a nice girl. Used to be round here all the time-"  
"She and Naomi were friends?" Emily was genuinely surprised by the revelation. The two girls seemed to constantly be at each other's throats.

"Oh yes! They were best of friends until- Oh, hello Naomi luv. We were just talking about you. Toast?" Gina greeted her daughter as she walked in to the kitchen, making no attempt to hide the fact they had been talking about her. Emily felt her cheeks colouring at being caught red-handed gossiping with Gina. The blonde's jaw was set as though she was biting back some sort of scathing comment. Emily made a mental note to ask her about her and Katie's friendship when she looked a little less pissed off. The young blonde got a glass of water and took a seat next to Emily at the table, stealing a slice of toast. "We're just about to pop a film on if you girls want to join us?" Naomi grumbled something with her mouthful of toast. Emily took her lead and followed the two blondes in to the living room. Kieran was already sitting in front of the television on one of the sofas. Once again he looked uncomfortable around the two teenagers and was grateful when Gina took a seat next to him. Emily and Naomi took up residence on opposite ends of the other sofa. Naomi pulled a throw down from the back of the seat and threw it over the two of them. Emily felt a sense of guilt at how at ease she was with the other girl's legs draped over her under the blankets. The entire thing felt far too domestic.

She couldn't deny she was attracted to the blonde. She was gorgeous and feisty. Spending time with her was just _easy_. She could be herself around the other girl and she even felt at ease with her mother. Emily had never really gotten along with anyone's mother for more than five minutes. She supposed there was some pseudo-psychological reasoning behind it to do with losing her own mother at such a young age, but she didn't tend to dwell on it. Her girlfriend's mother hated her and the feeling was definitely mutual. Lying beside Naomi she felt like her life in Newcastle, and everyone she had left behind were a million miles away.

She took her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts list. Her finger paused over Anna's name. She sent a quick text, a simple hello. Anna's response was almost immediate; she was surprised to hear from Emily by text. They usually always rang one another. Though it had been a long time since Emily had sat up till the early hours of the morning talking to the other girl. Their relationship had not exactly been steady before her father's death, but in the few weeks since the accident Emily had grown even more distant. Anna tried to call and she sent it straight to voicemail. She caught Naomi glancing at her out of the corner of her eye and tried to ignore the guilt she felt inside. She sent Anna another text, making up an excuse for why she couldn't answer the phone. "Emily? Drink?" Gina held up a bottle of lager in front of her face. The redhead felt nauseous just from the sight of it.

"No thanks." She shook her head. She'd had quite enough to drink. Naomi shifted beside her and took the two bottles her mother was holding. She put one on the floor and began drinking the other. Ten minutes later Emily was regretting not taking her own bottle. Her mouth was dry and with Naomi's legs draped on top of her she had no motivation to get up and fetch herself a drink. Naomi's gaze was glued to the television, while her bottle lay loosely in her grip. The redhead swiped the bottle out of her hand and had it to her lips before the other girl could protest.  
"Oi!" She playfully slapped Emily on the shoulder before taking the bottle back and bringing it to her own lips. Emily's eyes lingered on the blonde's lips, even as they curled up in to a smile. "Get your own."  
"Fine." Emily leant over her to reach for the bottle on the floor. She heard Naomi let out a small gasp as her chest brushed against Naomi's legs. She deliberately lingered a few moments longer, enjoying the way the other girl's body tensed. She clearly made Naomi nervous.  
"Happy?" The blonde tried to sound bitchy, but her voice came out shaky. Emily's lips curled up in to a smile, while Naomi's eyes never left her.  
"Ecstatic." Gina sat on the other sofa, watching the exchange with a curious smile. Naomi caught her and sent her a scowl back in response as Emily sat back with her own bottle. They sat in silence for most of the night, mostly only speaking to nominate the next person who had to fetch the drinks.  
"Your turn Emily." Gina mumbled, her face buried in Keiran's shoulder as she tried to avoid watching a particularly grizzly part of the slasher film they were watching.

"I'm a guest!" Emily objected, her own face peeking above a cushion she held cradled to her chest.  
"No such thing in this house my dear. Chop chop." Gina looked up long enough to clap her hands, regretting it as one of the characters onscreen was decapitated.  
"Chop chop." Naomi teased, pulling her cushion away from her. Emily rolled her eyes good naturedly and got to her feet. Not very familiar with the kitchen she struggled to find the light switch and eventually gave up. Opening the fridge she used that light to guide her as she looked around for another bottle of wine for Gina.

"RAAAWWWRR!"

"Jesus!" Emily jumped a foot in the air as someone shouted in her ear and a pair of hands wrapped around her waist. She scrambled away, turning around to find Naomi creasing with laughter. "Your face!" She giggled, her cheeks turning red as she struggled to laugh and breathe at the same time.  
"That wasn't funny!" Emily snapped, her heart still racing in her chest. She couldn't deny the other girl a small smile as she watched her, her face lit up with laughter. The blonde really was beautiful.  
"Oh my god, you were so-" Naomi never got to finish her sentence as Emily stepped forward, claiming her lips and pushing her back against the kitchen table. She felt the blonde kissing back, if only for the briefest of seconds, before Naomi pushed her away.  
"What the fuck? I'm straight!"  
"Not according to Katie." The words slipped out before Emily could stop herself. Naomi's expression darkened as her mood soured even further. Her hand connected with Emily's cheek, slapping her hard enough to leave an angry red mark.  
"You and Katie can go fuck yourselves." She turned on her heels and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Emily alone to collect her thoughts.  
"Fuck." She ran her hands through her hair and tried to take a few calming breaths. She'd royally fucked things up with possibly the only person who made Bristol tolerable. Collecting the beers and the unopened bottle of wine for Gina she slowly made her way back in to the living room, thankful it was too dark for anyone to notice the redness of her cheek or the tears welling up in her eyes. Gina was still hiding behind her cushion as Emily sat the bottle of wine down beside her chair. She took her seat on the sofa again, not meeting Naomi's eyes as she held out an open bottle for her.

Naomi took the bottle without a word. Once Emily was settled the blonde draped her legs back over her lap, drinking the beer with her eyes glued to the screen. Both girls finished their beers quite quickly and it was Naomi's turn to fetch the drinks. She came back with a bottle of vodka. After taking a healthy swig she handed it over to Emily. Though she still wasn't looking at her, their fingers brushed against one another and Emily felt the other girl's body shudder. They shared the bottle for the rest of the movie marathon, involving two horror films and a comedy, to 'lighten the mood' Gina had slurred as she popped the DVD in to the machine.

The girls chose to stay downstairs and watch another horror as Gina and Kieran went to bed. They regretted the decision half way through as the gruesome film all got a bit too much and they ran upstairs to Naomi's room, throwing on the lights as they slammed the bedroom door shut. Once the light flooded the room they began to laugh at their stupidity. Naomi fell silent as she noticed the mark on Emily's cheek. It was only slightly red, but it still filled her with guilt. She cupped the other girl's cheek as she inspected the damage. "I'm sorry." She sighed, her eyes dropping as Emily stepped closer towards her. "It's just…I'm…I'm not…" She sighed as she let go of the other girl's cheek and slumped down on her bed. Holding her head in her hands she looked up at the smaller girl, keeping a respectful distance. "I guess I should tell you the truth? About what went on with me and Katie?"

Emily took a seat on the bed as Naomi took a deep breath. "We were friends since we were six years old. Practically inseparable. We were are at a house party, the last day of middle school. We were going to different high schools and we thought it was the end of the world." She let out a bitter laugh at their naivety. "We were both really drunk… and Katie kissed me. Then she freaked out. Made out it was my fault and told everyone who'd listen I was a raging dyke. We never spoke after that. Not until the first day of college. We got put in the same form with Effy and Cook, and the rest of the gang. Effy got us to call a sort of truce. She really has a hold over Katie. Makes her almost tolerable….When you kissed me…" She trailed off, but Emily knew where she was going.

"I'm sorry." The redhead apologised. She wrapped her arms around the other girl, holding her in close. Naomi didn't put up a fight. "I was out of order. I shouldn't have…Anna would kill me if she found out." She let out a hollow laugh.  
"It was nothing." Naomi pulled away, wiping her eyes to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. "Just a stupid mistake between two friends."  
"Friends." Emily repeated, offering her a smile. It was nice to know the blonde still considered her a friend. "I'll go back to Jenna's tonight, give you some peace-"  
"It's two in the morning." Naomi scowled, ignoring the lifeline Emily was throwing her. The chance to get rid of her.  
"I'll get a taxi." Emily persisted, knowing the blonde really needed time to sort her head out. Naomi rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at her, narrowly missing her head.  
"Shut up and get in to bed."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks to everybody who is reading and to everyone who has reviewed. In all honesty I generally suck at updating; I wrote the first six chapters a few months ago at the same time as I was writing another Naomily AU fic, I started mixing the stories up and so left them both while I finished off some other stories. I Decided to post this one up first and now I'm trying to write a new chapter before I post one I already have finished so I can hopefully keep updates regular.

Morning came all too soon and Emily found herself staggering out of bed. It was still early so she left Naomi sleeping. With only the dress she had been wearing on Wednesday night to wear she helped herself to one of Naomi's hoodies. Slipping out of the room she found herself walking straight in to Gina as she crept along the landing. The blonde grinned at her and winked. "Sneaking out?"  
"No! It's not like that…we're not like that…" Emily became flustered as she began explaining herself to Naomi's mum. "I need to go home and get changed. For college."  
"I'm only teasing Emily." Gina followed her down the stairs and insisted on making her some breakfast before she would let her out of the door. "I'm glad you and Naomi are getting on. After the business with Katie, well she's never had many close friends. It's nice." Emily had a feeling the older blonde wasn't as oblivious as she sometimes seemed. "You're a nice girl Emily. Just what she needs."  
"Thanks." Emily replied hesitantly, not sure whether Gina was trying to encourage her to have some sort of relationship with her only daughter. "Can you tell her I'll see her at college?" Politely declining breakfast she made her escape from the house as quick as she could.

"Morning Emily." Jenna beamed as her youngest daughter walked in to the kitchen. "Katie not with you?"  
"She's still at Effy's." It was hardly a lie. It was eight o'clock in the morning. Emily highly doubted her twin had rolled out of bed as early as she had. She'd only gone home to get a change of clothes for college. If she didn't at least attempt to attend some of her classes she would be kicked out in the first week.  
"Oh? Would you like me to drive you to college? It's on my way." She smiled, truly trying to make an effort with her estranged daughter.  
"Yeah." Emily managed a smile. "That'd be great. Give me ten minutes to have a shower." She left Jenna grinning in the kitchen as she raced upstairs to get changed. Her hair wasn't completely dry from the shower as she came back downstairs and she shoved it up in to a ponytail. She paused as she found Jenna waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. She wanted to ask the questions she had been putting off since getting there, but it hardly seemed the time for an in-depth conversation. Instead she settled for, "Did you know I was still alive? When the police rang you about dad's accident?" Something akin to guilt flashed across Jenna's face and Emily knew she wasn't going to like the answer.

"I thought you and your dad were dead Emily. For fifteen years I thought you were dead. Then he rang me, completely out of the blue, three months ago. He was sorry for what he had done. He wanted us to all meet. We were trying to arrange something…and then the police rang and…" She trailed off, her mind wandering. "Why don't you stay off today? We can have a good talk?" Jenna seemed relived Emily was finally trying to speak to her, even if the subject of their conversation was difficult for her to talk about.  
"Maybe some other time." Emily brushed her off. She had heard enough for the time being. "But thanks." It was nice to know she hadn't just been abandoned by her mother. She had truly believed Emily was dead. She wondered what had gone through Jenna's mind when Rob Fitch had rang her, fifteen years after he had supposedly died in a burning car with their youngest daughter.

The drive to college was short and amicable. Emily said her goodbyes to her mother as she got out of the car and walked over to meet Naomi. She didn't miss the look Jenna gave the blonde as she drove off. No doubt Katie had told her the same story she had told everyone else. It made Emily even less keen to tell her estranged family about her own sexuality. "Hey." Emily greeted the blonde, falling in to stride with her as they made their way to the form room. "How's the head?" Naomi had woken up with a terrible hangover. She had been sending Emily grumpy texts all morning as Gina banged around the kitchen, making as much noise as possible to rile her only child.  
"Better." She laughed. The laughter died as she caught sight of Katie walking in to the form room. She paused at the door, shooting Naomi a look like she was something the other girl had stepped in.  
"Ignore her, yeah?" Emily put a reassuring hand on the blonde's shoulder. Naomi pulled away from her touch, ignoring the hurt look on the other girl's face. She was quiet all through registration and mumbled a 'see you later' as they went their separate ways for their respective lessons. Katie caught up to Emily, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor.  
"Ems, wait up!" The younger twin slowed but didn't stop.

"A word of advice yeah, watch Naomi, she's a dyke. Tried to feel me up at a party once and she'll probably try it on with you she's-"  
"She's straight Katie!" Emily stopped in her tracks, her twin almost crashing in to her. "I should know, I kissed her last night and she told me to fuck off, okay?"  
"You what?" Katie's eyes widened, almost bulging out of her head. "What the fuck are you talking about Ems?"  
"I'm gay Katie!" Emily shouted at her twin, not caring about the dozen or so students milling around in the hall. "I fuck girls, okay?" She didn't wait for her sister's response. Turning her back on her she stormed down the hall towards her next class. She would be damned if she was going to miss any more of college because of Katie or her dad. Finishing college and going to university was her ticket home to Newcastle. Back to her friends and her old, steady life. Come the summer Bristol would be nothing more than a distant memory.

It was lunch time before she saw Naomi again. Emily was sitting in a corner of the canteen, trying to avoid Katie and the rest of the gang. She looked up as the blonde took a seat opposite her and sat a large Smarties cookie down on the book she was reading. She smiled, breaking down Emily's defences almost immediately. "Peace offering?"  
"For what?" Emily quizzed as she broke the cookie in half and handed a piece back to the blonde. She took it gratefully, offering the other girl a smirk.  
"Um…for being a general dick?" Naomi replied, only half joking. "I'm sorry about before, it's just…Katie really winds me up, you know?"  
Emily was all too aware of her sister's ability to wind people up and nodded in agreement.  
"I told Katie I was gay." She admitted, watching Naomi for her reaction. The blonde looked somewhere between impressed and worried.  
"Bet she took that well." She remarked dryly, toying with the cookie she had left in her hand. Emily shrugged.  
"I didn't wait around to find out."  
"Your house will be a barrel of laughs tonight." She teased the smaller girl, smirking at her as Emily stuck her tongue out.  
"Want to come over?" She tried, knowing the blonde would say no.  
"Oh no, you have some family fun at the Fitch household." She laughed at her, though did offer her some sympathy. "If it gets too much just give me a call."  
"Thanks…I talked to Jenna this morning about me and my dad. He called her a few months back. Told her we were still alive. They were trying to arrange a meeting."  
"That's good isn't it?" Naomi quizzed, not really sure how to approach the subject of her dad. "I mean, he was trying to make things right?"  
"Yeah, fifteen years too late." Emily mumbled bitterly. She looked up from her cookie as Naomi placed a hand over hers.

"I mean it Ems, if you need me, call, okay?" She stroked the back of her hand. Whether she realised she was doing it or not the blonde was seriously messing with the youngest twin's head. For a supposedly straight girl she was sending out some mixed signals. She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket and knew who it would be before she even pulled it out.  
"Hey baby." She didn't miss the look that flashed across Naomi's face as she answered the phone. "Yeah course I'm missing you too. I'll be back up soon, promise. I've got to go, I'll call tonight ok? Speak soon babe….yeah, me too." She flashed Naomi an apologetic smile for the interruption as she pocketed her phone. "Sorry about that."  
"No problem." Naomi shot her a tight smile. The tension between them seemed to have settled over them again and she made her excuses to leave. "I've got to get going. Good luck with tonight."

"Emily?" Katie got in from college an hour after her twin. She had ended up sitting outside in Effy's car, confiding in her best friend, until she couldn't put it off anymore. "Mum?" She heard someone in the kitchen, even though Jenna wasn't due in for another hour. Walking in she found Emily standing by the island in the centre of the kitchen, chopping peppers and onions.  
"Hey." She didn't look up as Katie took a seat at the island that doubled up as a breakfast bar. "You're making dinner?"  
"Yeah. Just chicken and pasta…thought I'd save Jenna doing it. It'll be twenty minutes." She replied, still not looking up from the chopping board.  
"Look, about this afternoon-" Katie started but fell silent as Emily slammed the knife down. "I'm sorry ok? I'm not some homophobe, I'm not! It's just, Naomi and me, we used to be friends, a long time ago-"  
"I heard." Emily interrupted as she picked up the chopping board and scooped the veg in to the frying pan. "I'm gay Katie. If you have a problem with that then it's your business-"  
"I don't! Look I just don't want people thinking things about _me_ because of _you_. You can fuck who you want…just not her, ok?"

Emily couldn't quite tell whether the edge to her twin's voice was fear or jealousy. Was she really worried about rumours starting about her and Naomi again? Or did she have other motives to keep Emily away from the blonde. She could have asked for Katie's side of the story. Asked who kissed who first, or even told her Naomi was straight, but she was sick of arguing with her twin. The smoother her last four months in Bristol went the better. "I have a girlfriend. Anna. We've been together for ages." She had lost count of the months a while ago. At first she had been able to proudly tell everyone how many months, days, minutes and seconds they had been a couple; but those days had passed a long time ago. It all generally got lumped together as 'a long time'. _Too long.  
_"Oh." Katie instantly perked up. Emily swore her twin had multiple personalities. "That's great…um…mum will freak if she finds out you're gay."  
"Figured." Emily forced a smile on to her lips as she nodded towards the table. "Set the table would you?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Do I look like your slave?" She laughed as she opened the drawer for the cutlery. She was glad Effy had talked her out of coming home and screaming at her sister about keeping away from Naomi. The subtle approach seemed to have worked better and she felt safe in the knowledge that Emily's girlfriend was miles away and would not be making an appearance around the college. The last thing she needed was for rumours to start about either of them. Her phone went off in her pocket and she smiled as she read her text from Effy. Her best friend was a cheeky bitch.

'_Was I right? Or was I right? ;) x'_


	9. Chapter 9

"How can you still be getting lost?" Naomi laughed as Emily finally turned up at the coffee shop they were supposed to have met at half an hour ago. "You've been here like a month."  
"Bloody busses." Emily grumbled as she tossed her bag down on the seat and turned around to go order. Before she could take two steps a young waitress brought over two coffees, offering Emily a smile as she sat one down in front of her. "Thanks." The redhead was aware she was being checked out as the waitress made her way back to the counter, throwing Emily a cheeky smile over her shoulder.

"Do you want me to leave you two alone?" Naomi was teasing, but there was an edge to her voice. They had established their boundaries as friends, but sometimes it seemed Naomi wasn't all that straight. Particularly when she was shooting glares at pretty young women who were flirting with Emily.  
"Perfect." Naomi had her taste in coffee spot on. "Do those busses just change when they like? I always get that one here!"  
"It's after six." The blonde pointed out with an air of superiority about her. "They don't come down this way after six. Or on Sundays."  
"Thanks for the memo." Emily shot back, though her tone was teasing. "If this was Newcastle I'd know when to get off the bloody bus."  
"Yeah, but if this was Newcastle I wouldn't be here, would I?" Naomi's words were innocent enough, but they struck a chord with the other girl. When she returned to Newcastle in a few short months she would be losing her newfound best friend. She had been thinking about that a lot over the last few weeks. The more time she spent with Naomi the closer they were getting. Movie nights at the Campbell's had become a regular thing, once or twice a week. She spent more time there than she did in her own house.

She was still making an effort with Jenna and Katie. As dysfunctional as their family was it seemed they forgot their differences when Sunday afternoon rolled around and they prepared the roast as a family. It had become something of a ritual. Sundays were family days, up until the evening when Katie would go to Effy's and Emily to Naomi's. The redhead had settled in to a routine of sorts and the more she thought of going home to Newcastle, the more she realised she was going to miss the blonde sitting opposite her. "You must miss it." Naomi spoke as Emily remained quiet, nursing her coffee. "Newcastle. And your friends…Anna."

"I'm going back up home next weekend…" Emily admitted. She had been dancing around the subject for some time. "Anna's got her graduation ceremony for uni Friday. I said I'd go see her, I need to sort some of Dad's stuff out too. Effy's game for driving up, sort of girl's weekend away with her and Katie. My aunt Sharon has loads of space."  
"Uni?" Naomi ignored the obvious invitation and chose to ask instead. "How old is Anna?" Her face held that look she got when she was about to go all self-righteous and Emily had to bite back a grin as she answered, expecting the lecture that was to come.  
"Twenty one." The redhead admitted, explaining herself to the blonde before she could break out in to one of her trademark rants. "She was in her first year when we met at a house party. I was nearly sixteen and I lied about my age. We were together for weeks before I told her I was doing my GCSEs." There was a smile on Emily's lips as she spoke about her and Anna's early days.  
"That's the first time I've seen you smile when you talk about her." Naomi knew she was overstepping the line, but as usual she couldn't keep her observations to herself. Her candour was something which attracted the other girl to her, and she gave her an honest answer.  
"A lot's changed. Not just with my dad and Jenna. We're just not the same people anymore."  
"Do you still love her?"

"We better get going. Don't want Cook going off on one at us for being late." Emily chose to completely ignore the question and Naomi had the sense not to push it. The truth was Emily just didn't know how to answer. She and Anna had had their problems for a long time. She still cared about her, but since moving to Bristol she thought about and spoke to her less frequently than she had back home. Twice daily conversations had lapsed in to a couple of texts a week before finally reaching the point where Emily could go three or four days without talking to her other half and not even realise it. She had made her decision to keep her promise and go back home to see Anna for her graduation. She hadn't quite worked out what she was going to say or do when she was there, but she knew they had to talk in person.

They took a slow walk down to Keith's pub, knowing the others would already be there. It was St. Patrick's day and Cook had skipped his afternoon lessons to go down to see his uncle. Though when it came to Cook the fact that it was a Tuesday was a good enough reason for him to skip college. When they got to grotty little pub he was wearing an oversized four leaf clover hat and clutching a pint of Guinness. Freddie and JJ were with him, JJ nursing an orange juice. Cook's eyes lit up as he caught sight of the girls and he put his pint down to pull them both in to a tight hug. Naomi struggled free first, rolling her eyes as Cook winked at her. "Emilio!" He pulled the redhead in for another hug as she tried to follow Naomi to the bar. He had become quite taken with Katie's twin, and often invited her and Naomi down to the pub during their free lessons. "Have I got a treat for you babe! Lookey lookey!" He spun her around and pointed her towards a table in the corner. There was a group of girls laughing and giggling. They looked up as they heard Cook shouting and then huddled up to giggle some more and whisper amongst themselves. One of them held Emily's gaze, offering her a lazy smile.

The blonde girl, with her pixie cut hairstyle and ripped jeans, was familiar from Emily's first night out with the gang. She shot her a smile back as she elbowed Cook in the ribs. "Where's the love Ems?" He wheezed as he clutched his side. Emily was thankful as Naomi returned with a pint for her.  
"Keith's only serving Guinness till nine. They over ordered on it. I got some blackcurrant in it for you though." The blonde smiled as she handed over the pint glass.  
"Thanks." Emily took a large mouthful, trying to ignore the giggling girls in the corner. She almost choked as she heard a voice over her shoulder.  
"Hey short stuff." She turned to find the blonde girl, Hailey, standing in front of her. She wore a confident grin, as though she expected Emily to start gushing over her. She was definitely a player; but Emily knew the rules of the game all too well. Her lips curled up in to a smile as she looked the other girl up and down.  
"Forgotten my name already? Hailey isn't it?"  
"I must have really made an impression if you remember my name." Hailey smirked. She was good. Emily would give her that. The redhead shrugged, trying to seem aloof. "I'm good with names." She said it in such a way as to tell the blonde that girls told her their names quite a lot. She completely missed the scowl from Naomi.  
"How about numbers? I gave you mine, you never called." Hailey pouted.  
"My girlfriend wasn't too happy when she found it." The lie rolled off Emily's tongue with ease. She hadn't even noticed the blonde's number in her phone.

"No. I wasn't." Naomi's fingers laced through the smaller girl's as she took hold of her hand. Emily's eyes widened, but she caught on to Naomi's way of thinking and said nothing to object. She actually quite liked having the other girl's soft hand clutching her own; the scowl Naomi was shooting at Hailey also had her stomaching doing flips. If Emily didn't know any better she would say it was jealousy.

She teasingly informed Naomi of this as they sat down at their usual table by the door. Freddie and Cook had gone off to chat up girls while JJ sat talking to Keith. "Fuck off." The blonde snapped sulkily. "In case you've forgotten you _do _have a girlfriend. I was just filling in for her." It took all of Emily's willpower not to bite back with a comment about filling in for Anna in other ways. The look on her face must have given away what she was thinking as Naomi rolled her eyes at her. "Fucking perv."  
"Alright ladies?" Cook finally made his way over to the two girls, tearing his attention away from the busty brunette behind the bar. Freddie was still trying his luck with her. "Why's that blonde girl think you and Ems are at it, eh?" Cook addressed Naomi as he nodded towards Hailey and her friends.  
"Naomi just couldn't resist me anymore." Emily smirked, earning a scowl from the blonde.  
"I was doing Emily a fucking favour, don't know why I bothered." The blonde grumbled in to her pint.  
"Because you want to shag her?" Cook supplied not so helpfully. Emily erupted in to a fit of giggles while Naomi tried to clear the table in order to get to her best friend and maim him.  
"Easy girls!" Cook shouted at the top of his voice as he got to his feet, catching Hailey's attention. "I'll leave you two love birds alone!" He shot them a wink as he retreated to the safety of the bar.  
"Tosser." Naomi sneered at him, in no mood for his antics.

Cook stayed clear of them for an hour or so, giving the blonde time to cool down. Once the bar started to fill up the guys sat down next to the girls again, keeping Naomi company as Emily went to the bathroom. When she walked out of the stall she found Hailey sitting on one of the sinks. She smiled at Emily, her usual swagger back in place. "So, you and your girlfriend fighting or what? You don't seem very close." Hailey clearly wasn't fooled by their fake couple act. "If you were mine…" She let her eyes suggestively rake over Emily's entire body. "Well. Let's just say I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you." She dropped down from the sink, standing directly in front of Emily. Her expression was predatory as she leant in to kiss her. Emily stepped away at the last moment and smirked.  
"Shame I'm not yours." She slammed the door behind her as she stormed out. She was aware Hailey had followed her out as she walked up to Naomi. Without warning she sat herself down on the blonde's lap.  
"What the-"  
"Miss me?" Emily smiled down at her, praying she would realise Hailey was watching and not shove her on to the floor. Luckily the blonde was smart enough and realised what was going on. Her arms wrapped around the smaller girl as she placed a kiss on her cheek.  
"Always baby."

Shivers ran up and down the smaller girl's spine as Naomi said those words to her. She had to remind herself that Naomi was not her girlfriend. She was nothing like Anna. "Thanks." She mumbled as she picked up her pint. With Hailey still looking over at them from her table, Emily decided to stay where she was on the blonde's knee.  
"My fucking legs have gone to sleep." Naomi grumbled some time later, though her arms were still wrapped around the redhead sitting on her knee. "My round." Emily stood up to let the blonde go to the bar and took her seat. Cook was smirking at her from the other side of the table.  
"What?" She snapped at him, not liking the way he was leering at her. He looked over his shoulder to check where Naomi was and then answered Emily's question.  
"You and Blondie, eh? Real close." He waggled his eyebrows at her. Emily threw a pretzel at him in response, hitting him in the nose. "Oi!"  
"Play nice children." Naomi scolded them both as she sat a pitcher of something luminous green on the table followed by three glasses. "An Uncle Keith special." She explained as Emily looked at it sceptically. Rather than waiting for Emily to get out of her seat the blonde sat down on the other girl's lap; turning the tables.

She sat on Emily's knee for the rest of the night, her arm draped over the redhead's neck. Her fingers idly began playing with Emily's hair as they listened to Cook go on about some girl he had been trying it on with at the bar. Emily tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but Naomi's actions were seriously distracting her. It was hard to concentrate with the blonde's fingers toying with her locks. Cook disappeared to the bar again to blag free shots off Keith and Emily was about to make her excuses to leave when Hailey walked over to their table. A few of her friends hung back by the door, waiting for her. She ignored the glare Naomi shot her as she smiled at Emily. "We're going on to a club if you fancy it. Your _girlfriend _can come too." Emily's lips parted to answer, but Naomi beat her to it.

"Sorry. We've got plans." Before Emily could react Naomi's lips were pressed against her own. She didn't have time to act surprised. She had spent the last month thinking about the blonde's lips, she wasn't going to waste the one opportunity she was going to get to kiss her. Her lips responded eagerly as she savoured every second. Naomi pulled away first. Her cheeks were flushed, but there was a hint of smugness as she stared up at Hailey. Emily finally found her voice as she got to her feet, taking Naomi's hand in hers. "Like she said, we're busy." She walked past the blonde and her friends, dragging Naomi with her. Once they were outside Emily began laughing. Naomi stopped in her tracks, pulling her hand free from Emily's. "What's wrong?"  
"Emily I'm not-"

"Not gay. Got it." Emily cut her off a little bluntly as she pulled out her phone to text Cook and let him know they had left. Afterwards she called a taxi to pick them up. They stood in front of the pub in an awkward silence. Once their taxi turned up Emily held the door open for her and then slammed it shut once she was in, deciding she wanted to walk. She needed some space from the blonde to clear her head. "You kissed me Naomi, not the other way around."


	10. Chapter 10

"Glad you gave me plenty of notice." Emily teased as she helped Naomi heft her suitcase in to the boot of Effy's mum's car. It was late Friday afternoon and the blonde had only made her mind up about going away with Emily and the others at lunch time. She'd sat down next to Emily at lunch and announced with a dramatic sigh that she would go to Newcastle with the rest of the girls. Minus Panda who hadn't been able to convince her mother to let her go. Emily had decided not to point out the fact that they had barely spoken since Tuesday night. She knew the blonde well enough not to bring up the argument that had left them ignoring each other for most of the week. She had missed the other girl's company and did not want to risk her ignoring her for longer because of a petty comment.

"Got to keep you on your toes." Naomi shot back as she climbed in the back of the car, Katie having already called shotgun when Effy had picked the twins up. The drive up to Newcastle would take just over five hours on the A1, a definite improvement on Emily's coach ride down. Sharon had phoned her an hour earlier to let her know the rooms were all set up and Anna had been texting her non-stop all day. She had offered to meet her at Sharon's when she arrived, but Emily had put her off, insisting it would be late when they arrived.

Katie sat in the passenger seat with her nose buried in some glossy magazine or another while Effy drove in silence, keeping her attention glued to the road. Emily and Naomi sat in the back playing eye-spy. After almost two hours of the tedious game, with even Katie and Effy joining in, Emily fell asleep. She lay with her head against Naomi's shoulder. The blonde chanced a look down at the sleeping girl. Katie caught her. "So, I wonder what Emily's girlfriend is like? They sound pretty serious." She announced to the whole car, but Naomi had a feeling it was more for her benefit than anyone else's.  
"She's not blonde." Naomi muttered under her breath. Katie hadn't heard her, but Effy shot her a smirk in the rear-view mirror. "Not like you to be rolling out the welcome wagon for the gays." Naomi added, loud enough for Katie to hear her this time.  
"Yeah, well I don't mind them when they're not trying to grope me, bitch!"  
"Guessing you have an issue with Eff then?" The blonde snapped back. Katie opened her mouth to say something, but Effy cut her off.  
"Children, don't make me turn this car around." She smirked at the two squabbling teenagers. "Besides, Katie never complains when I grope her."

"Are you two actually fucking?" Naomi wasn't even joking as she asked. Effy's face gave nothing away as her expression was poker straight.  
"Fuck off Campbell." Katie snapped defensively. "Some people can actually be best friends without trying to molest each other."  
"Just not you." Naomi grumbled under her breath.  
"Naomi can you wake Emily up? We're nearly there." Effy interrupted the arguing again, silencing both girls. The blonde shook Emily's shoulder a little bit to rouse her from her sleep. She grumbled and pulled away from Naomi, turning over to go back to sleep.  
"Wake up Ems. We're nearly there."

Emily's eyes cracked open and a small smile spread across her lips. There was nothing like driving across the Tyne bridge, watching the lights of the Quayside sparkling across the dark water of the river below. She was home.

She and her dad had moved around a lot when she was younger, they had eventually settled in Newcastle and it was the place Emily considered her home. It felt good to drive through the familiar streets, the city's atmosphere electrified by Friday night revellers. Katie had certainly perked up as they passed by endless clubs and bars. "We're going out tomorrow night, yeah babe?" She addressed Emily. Her twin was hardly taking any notice of her and gave a distracted 'yeah', her gaze still glued to the streets that whizzed by. Once they left the city centre Emily had to concentrate on giving Effy directions to her old street. It wasn't until they pulled up outside Sharon's house that Emily felt a knot tightening in her stomach. She stared at the house next door. The curtains were drawn and the lights were off. No one lived there anymore. The house had been paid for when Fitch Fitness really took off and had been left to Emily in Rob's will. Sharon had tried to talk to her about renting it out, but Emily had been too distraught to listen at the time and so the house stood empty and still; waiting for her to return.

"Emily?" Before the redhead could wallow for too long a blonde woman in her early fifties appeared at the front door of the next house. She was a large woman with rosy cheeks and a wide smile. Emily led the girls up the garden path to introduce them to her 'aunt' Sharon. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Come here pet." She wrapped her arms around Emily squeezing her tight. "We've missed you." She let go of the squirming redhead and addressed the rest of the girls. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of Katie.  
"No need to ask who you are bonnie lass! Eeeh, it's uncanny!"  
"Aunt Sharon, this is Katie, Effy and Naomi." She introduced each of the girls as Sharon pulled them all in for hugs too. Effy looked disturbed by the contact but said nothing and forced a tight smile at the overbearing blonde. Sharon led them all inside the house, taking them straight upstairs.  
"I'll show you where you're sleeping and you can settle in. Right, two of you can have the spare room and one of you can share Emily's room with her." Effy and Katie took the spare room, leaving Naomi to share with Emily.

The room was pretty basic, but the twin bed with its pastel blue sheets and the chipped bedside table were as familiar to Emily as the back of her hand. Sharon had babysat for her a lot when they first moved in and her dad was working all hours trying to make the gym work. Even when she got older she would stay over at Sharon's to keep the older woman company. Her husband had left her not long after their daughter was born. Once her only child, only a few years older than Emily, had moved out to start her own family, Sharon had been left all alone in the big empty house. Emily had tried to stay over as often as she could, long after she was old enough to stay in her house alone. She barely had time to take in the sight of her old room when the bedroom door slammed open and an irritated Katie stormed in, followed by Effy. "Have you seen what's next door?" She demanded. Emily struggled not to laugh as she remembered the spare room was for Sharon's young grandsons.  
"Who's on top then?" Emily smirked, earning a glare from her twin. Naomi frowned, not following the conversation at all.  
"I'm not sleeping in bunk beds!" Katie snapped, crossing her arms and stamping her foot like a petulant child. She looked over at the bed in the corner of the room. "Swap? Please?" She already had her bag in her hand.

Reluctantly Emily picked up her bag and her jacket from by the bed and led Naomi in to the room next door. The blonde scrunched her face up at the sight of the wooden bunk beds. The duvets had rocket ships and aliens on them and there were glow in the dark stars and moons on the ceiling.  
"Top or bottom?" Emily repeated her earlier question, a hint of amusement in her voice as Naomi rolled her eyes.  
"Top." The blonde replied as she dumped her bag on the floor. She was quieter than usual and Emily couldn't help but feel things were becoming tense between the two of them again. She was grateful when Sharon called up for them to come downstairs.

They all sat in the living room drinking tea and eating pizza. Sharon talked non-stop, asking Emily how things were in Bristol and talking to Katie about her life. Her accent was quite thick and more than once Emily had to translate what she was saying. Naomi sat in the armchair by the window, she had been quieter than Effy all night, and that was saying something. When Katie loudly complained about running out of cigarettes Sharon offered to take her and Effy to the nearest shop to get some more, leaving Emily and Naomi on their own in the house. "Come on." Emily dragged the blonde to her feet, smirking as Naomi asked where they were going. She led the blonde out in to the back garden. The fence leading to the house next door was quite low and easy to hop over. Naomi followed the redhead, continuing to question what it was they were doing. "Ta da." Emily stood in front of a tall thick tree. There was a tire swing hanging from one of the branches and various ropes wrapped around it to climb up. Emily scrambled up the ropes climbing up to one of the taller branches in seconds.  
"Emily!" Naomi snapped, disturbed by how high she had climbed. "Come down."  
"Come up." Emily laughed; she wrapped her legs around the branch and hung upside down, scaring the blonde even further. Though Naomi had to admit the small girl's strength was surprising and impressive. "Relax; I've been climbing this thing for years." She climbed down to one of the lower branches anyway, just to keep the blonde happy, and sat with her back to the thick trunk of the tree. Naomi relaxed a little and took a seat on the tire swing.

"Won't we get wrong for being in here?" The blonde quizzed as she kicked her feet off the ground, swinging herself back and forth.  
"Well the owner of the house can be a bit of a bitch." Emily admitted with a sigh as she dropped down from the tree. "And she's sorry. For the other night."  
"This is your house?" Naomi was smart and quickly put two and two together. "I'm sorry too." She added, nervously chewing her lower lip.  
"Friends?" Emily began pushing her on the swing, her small hands pushing against Naomi's back.  
"Friends." The other girl agreed. She couldn't help but smile as Emily climbed up on to the swing with her, wrapping her arms around the rope and keeping the swing going with the momentum of her jump up. There was something almost childlike in how innocent and carefree Emily seemed as she swung them back and forth. She was happy, back home where she belonged. Naomi should have been happy for her friend, but there was a niggling feeling eating away at her that reminded her Emily would soon be back home permanently. She would be leaving Bristol, and Naomi, behind.


	11. Chapter 11

When Naomi's eyes opened she wasn't quite sure why she was staring at luminous green stars and moons on a flaking black ceiling. A noise below caught her attention and she looked over the edge of the top bunk she was lying on to find Emily getting changed. She was wearing shorts. It was mid-march and Emily Fitch was putting shorts on. "Ems?"  
"Morning." Emily smiled up at her as she pulled on her trainers.  
"What time is it?" The blonde grumbled as she groped for her phone to check the time.  
"Early. Go back to bed." Early was definitely an understatement. It had barely gone six in the morning.  
"Where are you going?"

"Running." The redhead pulled her hair up in to a ponytail. "I do a five mile run twice a week." Naomi let out a tired grunt at the thought of running for five minutes never mind five miles. Emily left her to go back to sleep and silently crept downstairs. As she got to the door she pulled her headphones out and searched through her pockets for her phone. She realised it was missing and went back upstairs to search for it. It wasn't in the room she was sharing with Naomi, and she couldn't remember having it downstairs the night before. That only left one place for it to be. She opened the door to the room next door as quietly as she could and slipped inside to search for her phone. She guessed it had slipped out of her jacket when she had put it down. She saw it on the floor by the bed, surrounded by Effy's and Katie's clothes. There were items of clothing thrown haphazardly around the floor as though they had been taken off in a rush. "Mmmm." Emily froze as she heard her twin let out a content sigh in her sleep. She pocketed her phone and tried to backtrack out of the room, ignoring the fact that Effy and her sister seemed to be naked and curled up in bed together.

She took a deep breath of crisp air as she stepped outside. The morning was mild and it didn't take long for Emily to warm up as she started her run. It felt nice to be running her familiar route. Though she had only been gone a little over a month she had missed her usual routines. As she ran with her music blaring in her ears she was almost able to forget about everything that had happened in the last two months. She ran a little further than usual to stop off at a bakery to get some breakfast for everyone. She chose to get the bus back, rather than risk running back with a carrier bag full of pastries. It was light by the time she got back to the house and she wasn't surprised to see Sharon already up and sitting in the living room. She was surprised to see Effy sitting beside her. The brunette was dressed in an oversized T-shirt, with her long lean legs tucked underneath her. "Morning love. Sleep alright?" Sharon didn't wait for a response as she pottered off in to the kitchen to make Emily a cup of tea.  
"Got your phone then?" Effy remarked as she picked up her own cup of tea. There was an odd expression on her face that Emily couldn't quite figure out. For all she had tried to be nonchalant she seemed anxious that Emily had been in the room to retrieve her phone. In the short time she had known Effy she knew she wasn't the type of person to beat about the bush. She gave her the same courtesy.  
"Are you fucking my sister?" To Effy's credit she didn't even flinch as Emily asked. She took another sip of tea before answering.  
"Yes. I am."

Emily took a seat on the arm chair facing the sofa. She thought of all the times she had heard Naomi tease her twin about being with Effy. She had vehemently denied it, but it seemed to make a lot of sense. It was no wonder she had reacted badly to finding out Emily was gay if she was trying to hide the fact that she wasn't completely straight. "How long have you been together?" Effy laughed at that. A short bitter laugh that answered Emily's question for her. "We're not. We fuck." Her answer left no room for any more questions as Sharon returned to the room. She handed Emily a sugary tea and took the bag of pastries off her.  
"Anna called love, said she'll pop over around lunchtime."  
"Oh. Ok." Emily mumbled rather unenthusiastically. "I'm going to take a shower." She left Effy and Sharon and went upstairs to have a shower and get changed. The hot water was a welcome relief on her tight muscles. She stood under the hot spray for as long as she could before finally turning the shower off and pulling the curtain back. She had just wrapped a towel around herself when the door opened.

"Jesus!" Naomi was half asleep but jumped when she caught sight of the redhead in a towel. Emily smirked at her.  
"We've got to stop meeting like this."  
"Usually it's you walking in on me." Naomi pointed out with a scowl. She was hardly a morning person and it showed. "Can you get out now please?" She snapped rather shortly.  
"Why should I?" Emily snapped back, irritated by the blonde's sharp attitude. Naomi looked at her like she was stupid before finally answering.  
"I really need to pee."

Emily left her to it, feeling like an idiot for starting another argument between them. She was tense at the thought of seeing Anna for the first time in over a month. They had a lot to talk about, and yet all Emily could think about was how to make things right between her and Naomi. They had been getting on fine the night before, chatting until the early hours of the morning, yet once again the arguing had started. "Are you decent?" Naomi knocked on the door, waiting for Emily's response before daring to enter. Catching Emily Fitch in a towel once was enough for one day.  
"No. But I'm dressed." Naomi rolled her eyes as she walked in to the room. She was smiling though and that was a start.  
"Are you going to get out so I can get dressed? Or just perve as usual?" Emily cocked her head to the side and placed a finger to her lip as though giving the question some serious consideration. "Perve? Oi!" She giggled as Naomi threw a stuffed Iggle Piggle teddy at her for her answer. "Leaving!" She tossed the teddy on to the lower bunk and made her way to the door.  
"And shut the door! No peaking!" The blonde teased, her tone playful as she shot Emily a warning look.  
"Nothing I haven't seen before." Emily slammed the door behind her to emphasise she had shut it. She heard the teddy hit the other side of the door as Naomi threw it at her again.  
"Emily!" Sharon shouted up to her for slamming the door and the redhead felt thirteen years old again.

"Sorry!" She called down, an automatic response. She bounced down the stairs, meeting Effy at the bottom. The other girl was heading upstairs to wake Katie up, not an easy task as Emily was all too aware of. There had been many times when Emily had had to try and wake her twin up for college after a night out. Katie was like a bear with a sore head when she was woken up. Emily stepped to the side to let Effy go by, but the other girl made no attempt to go past her. She looked at her with a blank expression as she chose her words carefully. "Don't let Katie know that you know." She didn't elaborate on what she was talking about, in case anyone over heard them, but Emily knew what she was referring to and promised to keep it to herself. "It's complicated. She has issues."

"Who has issues?" Naomi appeared at the top of the stairs, catching the two girls whispering at the bottom of the stairs.  
"Katie." Effy answered honestly, surprising Emily. She opened her mouth to say something to her, but Effy cut her off before she could get a word in. "She's stressing about meeting Anna. You know Katie and the gays." Effy rolled her eyes for dramatic effect and shot Emily a sly smirk as she padded up the stairs. She opened the door to the room she was sharing with Katie and quietly closed it behind her. Creeping over to the bed she climbed in beside her on-off lover. She pressed her lips to the other girl's, smiling as Katie sighed and her lips started moving, kissing her back before she had even woken up properly. "Morning." Effy shifted so that she was straddling the smaller girl under the covers.

"Hey." Katie replied as she stretched, giving Effy an ample view of her cleavage as she did so. Effy couldn't stop herself from bending down and nipping at the tanned flesh on show to her. Katie giggled and pushed her away, though Effy didn't give in that easy and went in for another kiss. Katie eagerly returned it. Effy lived for mornings with Katie. When she was tired and just waking up she was more likely to kiss her back if Effy started anything. Where their nights were rushed and Katie could dismiss them as drunken romps, their mornings were slow and intimate. It was harder for her to dismiss what went on between them when she was sober. Her hands tangled in Effy's hair as she pulled her in closer, her knee slipping between Effy's legs. It had the desired effect as Effy's hand slipped under the waistband of Katie's bed shorts. "You put clothes on." Effy frowned petulantly. "I hate it when you do that."

Katie gasped as Effy's nimble fingers brushed against her inner thigh. "You left me in bed." She shot back, though she would never admit how much she hated waking up to find Effy gone. It was not how they worked. They fucked each other and they fucked other people. They were supposed to be friends with benefits, no more, no less. The times they lay cuddled up in bed on lazy Sundays, and drunken admissions that hinted towards something more were never mentioned. It was the way things were between them and that wasn't going to change anytime soon while Katie still fiercely denied being anything other than straight. When Katie had first found out Emily was gay she had stopped sleeping with Effy all together for almost a fortnight. In the end Effy had had to resort to getting her drunk on Tequila to get her back in to bed with her.

"Eff! Katie! Breakfast's ready." Emily was still causing her problems as she knocked on their bedroom door. Katie instantly stiffened. The air between them changed as she sat up, knocking Effy aside on the bed. She was wide awake after being reminded that they were not lying in Effy's bed with Anthia oblivious downstairs. They were in a stranger's house with her twin sister and Naomi Campbell downstairs.  
"Coming!" Katie pulled on her dressing gown as Effy let out a sigh of frustration while lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. "What's wrong with you? We can fuck later, yeah?" The last part was added in a harsh whisper and just served to annoy Effy more. She sat up her, expression blank and her tone bored.  
"Maybe. New city, plenty of people to fuck." Her words had their desired effect as hurt flashed across Katie's face. She tried to act like Effy's words had not been a slap in the face and shrugged them off, agreeing with her. As the door closed behind the eldest twin Effy cradled her face in her hands, trying not to scream with frustration. She was sick and tired of things being so complicated between the two of them.

When she finally made it downstairs to the kitchen she found the others around the table, eating the fresh pastries Emily had brought in with her. Katie was picking pecan nuts out of a Maple Danish like she was conducting neurosurgery, making a conscious effort to ignore Effy as she walked in and took a seat next to Naomi. The blonde was deep in conversation with Emily about why she should have the only chocolate croissant. Emily gave in of course and handed it over to the blonde. It was painfully obvious she would bend over backwards to keep the other girl happy. Effy resented Naomi a tiny little bit. Emily clearly fancied her, and unlike her older sibling, she was not afraid to tell the world who and what she was. If Naomi weren't as pig-headed as Katie then she could be happy with the youngest Fitch. "What time's your girlfriend coming over Emily?" Effy's question interrupted the two girls as they continued to argue over the croissant Naomi was munching on. She had handed half over to Emily, who in turn had made a big show of refusing it, despite having bought it for herself in the first place. Naomi fell silent, her attention focused on her breakfast as Emily answered.

"Lunch time I think." For someone who hadn't seen her better half for over a month she didn't sound very enthusiastic about seeing her. Though Effy could hardly blame her for being pre-occupied with the blonde sitting beside her. "I'm going to call her and tell her to meet us in town. I thought we could go shopping, maybe get some lunch?"  
"Sounds good babes." Katie was up for some retail therapy in a new city.  
"Oh Emily, Lucy's coming over with the boys for tea tonight." Sharon informed her as she placed cups of tea in front of Effy and Katie. "Caelan has a picture for you and Ryan wants to show you his medal from Sports Day. First place in the hundred metres!"

A huge grin spread over Emily's lips at the mention of Sharon's grandsons. "We'll be back in time. I'm making dinner…no arguments." She added as Sharon went to object. She kissed the older woman's cheek as she got up from the table. "We'll go as soon as Katie and Ef are ready." Effy silently excused herself from the table to get ready. Katie waited a few minutes before following her up. They were gone a little longer than was necessary to get changed and Katie seemed to have perked up a little more. Even Effy had a smile on her face as they left the house. Emily was surprised she had not picked up on something between them earlier. It was clear from the way they moved around each other that they were together. It was not the light touches they exchanged as Katie thought no one was looking, or the small smile Effy gave her in return at the contact. It was the way they were when they knew people _were_ looking, cautiously keeping their distance from each other, while still keeping the other within reach. It was like a complicated dance they had perfected so well they were barely aware they were doing it.

"You're quiet." Naomi pointed out as they sat outside a shoe shop, waiting for Katie to make up her mind about two pairs of shoes she had fallen in love with. Effy was inside trying to get her to make up her mind while they were all still young enough to enjoy the use of their legs. "Everything ok?"  
"Fine." She dismissed the blonde's concern, forcing herself to smile.  
"Anna?" It seemed the other girl could read her like a book and she gave up acting like nothing was wrong. Reluctantly she nodded. Naomi knew she and Anna had not spoken much over the last few weeks, mostly because the blonde had spent most of her time with Emily and had seen how many times she had ignored her texts and declined her phone calls. Emily had not shared the true reason she had been avoiding talking to her, though she figured she would find out soon enough when Anna turned up.  
"She cheated on me."  
"What?" Naomi snapped, her eyes widening as she took in what Emily had said. "When?"  
"Before Bristol." Emily kept her eyes forward, refusing to meet Naomi and her concerned expression. "There was this girl she was friends with from uni, they got drunk on a night out and Anna stayed at her house…she felt really guilty and told me about it the next day…it was the day my dad had his accident. We never really talked about it before I left."

"That's why you've been avoiding her." Naomi was putting the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle. "Why are you still with her Ems? I mean, she fucked someone else when you were living in the same city. You're two hundred miles away now and-"  
"I know that." Emily snapped, a little too harshly. She sighed as she ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She had been stressing over what she was going to say and do when she next saw Anna the entire time she had been away. "I'm sorry. It's just, I loved her Naomi. I really did…but it's not enough. I can't forgive her for what happened and every time she tries to talk to me I just want to scream at her."  
"What are you going to do?" The blonde sounded genuinely concerned as she wrapped a comforting arm around her best friend. Having Naomi wrapped around her made it even harder for her to think and she shrugged her shoulders.  
"I don't know."


	12. Chapter 12

Katie Fitch stared at the two different shoes in her hand. It was like being asked to choose between children as Effy groaned for her to hurry up and pick one. The white gladiator like sandals were gorgeous and would be great for the summer, but the black heels would go so well with the little black dress she had bought for the Love Ball at the end of term. Knowing Katie only too well, Effy left to have a cigarette, giving her more time to ponder over the enormous decision. She was standing by the door, contemplating the pros and cons of a third pair when arms wrapped around her waist and a voice purred in her ear. "Hey baby." The arms that encircled her waist belonged to a girl, and were most definitely not Effy's.  
"What the fuck?" Katie pulled away and shoved the stranger who had been all over her.

The girl was tall, almost as tall as Effy, though her body was more athletically defined and Katie's shove did little to move her. Her brown hair was cut just above her shoulders in choppy layers and her hazel eyes were staring widely at Katie. Her smile wavered as Katie angrily glared at her. "I don't see you for a month and this is the hello I get?"  
"What are you on? I don't even know you!" Katie spat back, her anger infuriated by the stranger implying she had been justified in grabbing her. She forgot about the fact she was in the city her twin had spent the last five years of her life and was bound to be mistaken for her once or twice.  
"Ems?" The girl looked seriously hurt by her words. Realising what was going on Katie corrected her.  
"I'm Katie. Not Emily. She's outside." She pointed through the window at Emily who was sitting on a bench with Effy and Naomi.

"Shit. Sorry. You must be Emily's sister." The girl's smile returned as she realised her mistake. Katie resisted the urge to respond with 'obviously' and introduced herself properly to the girl. "I'm Anna. Emily's girlfriend." The brunette explained who she was, which the eldest twin supposed also explained why she had groped her in the middle of the shop. Katie quickly made her mind up, going with the black heels, and led Anna over to the bench the girls were sitting at. Effy looked up first, her eyes instantly taking in the stranger walking with Katie, assessing how much of a threat she was. Naomi and Emily were too deep in conversation to notice either girl approaching. Emily was animatedly explaining how she was banned from the _Primark _across the street due to a drunken prank.  
"That poor girl on the till was mortified." Anna interrupted, grinning as Emily's head snapped up to look at her. "Hey gorgeous." Emily didn't get a chance to say anything back as Anna leant down to kiss her. It was awkward and tense, even without Naomi and Katie's watching.  
"Uh, hi." Emily managed to finally get out as the other girl pulled away. "What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at one?"

"Hi Emily. I've missed you too." Anna replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She knew the younger girl had been off with her since moving, it was understandable considering Anna had been the one to cheat, but she had hoped things would be back to normal when she came home. Emily was looking at her like a stranger as she dropped her gaze. She had planned to leave the others while she met Anna and tried to talk things through. The other girl had hurt her, but they had been together for almost two years and as unsure as Emily was about their future their past still meant a lot to her. She could not simply throw it all away without giving Anna the chance to explain herself face to face.  
"Can we go somewhere and talk?" She felt the others staring at her as they watched the exchange between the two girls. She told them she would meet up with the three of them later and followed Anna down to their usual coffee shop.

It was quiet for a Saturday afternoon and they managed to get a booth at the back. Anna ordered their coffee before taking a seat opposite Emily. Her expression was sombre, she knew what was coming. "I don't think this is going to work."  
"I've said I'm sorry Emily. I will get down on my hands and knees, right here and now, and beg! Just give us a chance." Anna pleaded; she reached out to take Emily's hands in her own. The younger girl did not pull away, finding solace in the familiar contact. The other girl took this as a good sign and continued talking. "Sara meant nothing. I was stupid and drunk and I have regretted that night every second since. Please don't give up on us because of _my _stupid mistake. Please Emily. We can make us work again. You'll be home soon and-"  
"It should work." Emily sighed, pulling her hands away as the waitress brought over their coffee.  
"It will. I promise-"  
"No." Emily cut her off again with a shake of her head. "I mean it should just work. We shouldn't have to try." She winced as she took a sip of her coffee. Anna had ordered her favourite coffee, a caffé Americano with double espresso and no sugar. Emily couldn't stand it. She pushed it aside.

"Come on Ems, this isn't some fairy tale. This is real life. Relationships are hard and sometimes you have to work to make them happen-" Emily had forgotten how much the older girl tended to talk down to her. There was only three years between them yet she spoke to Emily like she was still a child.  
"I'm not in love with you anymore." Emily spoke bluntly. She had finally made up her mind. "I kissed a girl in Bristol, and I can't stop thinking about her. And it's really fucked up because she's supposed to be straight and she has a past with my sister and I must be absolutely insane, but I think I'm in love with her." It felt good to say it out loud, like a burden being lifted from her shoulders, even if she was admitting it to her long term girlfriend.

"Where's Anna?" Effy was straight to the point as Emily turned up at the bar they had found their way to. It was split over three levels and they were sitting on the second, drinking cocktails.  
"Probably off fucking the girl she cheated on me with." Emily snapped, swiping Naomi's glass. She said nothing, knowing the redhead had more need for the alcohol than she did. "I ended it." She didn't miss the look Katie gave her. There was concern, but there was something else brooding under the surface. She covered it well though, voicing her dislike of the girl she had only met for five minutes.  
"She cheated on you? What a bitch! She fucking groped me in the shoe shop!"  
"Most action you've had in a while." Naomi quipped dryly.  
"Fuck off bitch. I've had more than you!" Katie replied rather smugly. Emily didn't miss the mischievous smirk Effy shot her way.  
"I need a drink." Leaving the girls at their table Emily made her own way over to the bar. She returned with a drink for herself and a round of shots, a bad habit she had picked up from drinking with Cook.

After an interrogation from Katie about what had happened with her and Anna she finally managed to get away from her overbearing twin by dragging Naomi upstairs to play pool. The third floor was empty and they had their choice of the three pool tables. Emily chose the one overlooking the street below and began setting the table up. "You did the right thing you know." Naomi reassured her as they were well in to the game. Naomi was winning as Emily's heart wasn't really in the game. She was distracted by the blonde bending over the table in front of her.  
"I know." Emily sighed as she took her own shot. She chipped it and the cue ball went flying across the room. Naomi let out a chuckle as she fetched the ball from under a nearby table. "You're distracting me." She grumbled as Naomi teased her.

"Please, you'd know if I was distracting you." Naomi shot back with a smirk. Emily felt her own lip's curling up in to a smile as the blonde flirted. She knew it would only go so far before she played the straight card, but she would take what she could get.  
"I'll just have to think of a way to distract you then, won't I?" Emily shot back, even as Naomi sunk another ball. There was only the black ball left for her to pot and she wore a smug smirk as she lined up her shot.  
"Nothing you could say or do will stop me kicking your arse." She pulled back the cue, ready to strike.  
"I've had sex on this pool table."

The cue slammed forward, connecting with the cue ball and sending it shooting off the table. It flew over the railing and thudded down the stairs. On the floor below Katie let out a shriek and shouted up to them. Emily collapsed in to a fit of giggles as Naomi stared at her in disbelief. She bit her lip as she walked past the pool table, knocking the black ball in to the pocket with her hand. "I win…and I was kidding about the pool table…it wasn't _this_ one." She winked at the blonde and headed downstairs to fetch the cue ball.

"Fuck." Naomi cursed under her breath. Emily Fitch was seriously getting under her skin.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Apologies for the lack of update yesterday, had a million things to do on my day off and when I finally finished this chapter my internet stopped working. Thanks again to everyone who is reading and to those who have left reviews.

"Try this." Emily held up a forkful of pasta to Naomi's lips. They had gone back to Sharon's and the blonde was sitting on the bench beside the oven, keeping Emily company as she prepared tea for the rest of them. Emily was concocting some sort of pasta with spinach and pesto and Naomi had instantly turned her nose up at it. As it slipped past her lips she let out a content sigh. "Told you you'd like it. You need to try new things." Emily grinned at her smugly as she turned her attention back to the pasta.  
"Maybe." Naomi agreed. She reached over to get another forkful of the pasta and was met by a slap to the hand.  
"Not done yet." She put the pan on to simmer for a while and dragged Naomi back in to the living room to join the others. As she walked in she heard the front door open and two very excited little boys shouting for their grandmother. As Sharon greeted the boys and helped them take their coats and shoes off, their mother Lucy walked in to the living room. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Emily and she wrapped the smaller girl in to a tight hug. "Emsy!" She pulled away from the hug and kissed the redhead. Far from a friendly peck on the cheek it was a full on kiss. Naomi sat awkwardly beside her, politely looking away. "Heard you're single again."  
"Lucy, you leave that girl alone!" Sharon warned as she brought the boys in to the living room.  
"Auntie Emsy!" The two young boys ran across the room and dived on to her, laughing and giggling as she hugged them both.  
"They're twins!" Katie exclaimed as she watched the two boys wrestling for Emily's attention. They caught sight of Katie and stopped. A huge grin spread over Caelan's face. He was the oldest by eight minutes and his hair was little longer. Other than that the twins were identical blonde haired four years olds with huge green eyes and gap toothed grins.

"Are you Katie?" Caelan spoke for the two of them as Ryan stood quietly beside Emily. He offered a shy smile towards the stranger who looked like his 'aunt' Emily. "Are you a twin too? Do you have a top secret language? Me and Ry do!" Katie was not used to conversing with children, unless Cook counted, but she did her best to be friendly to the little boy. "I'm oldest by eight whole hours!"  
"Minutes." Lucy corrected her young son from where she sat perched on the arm of the sofa beside Emily. "God knows I was in labour long enough with Caelan without waiting another eight hours for Ryan to turn up." Lucy was a young woman, she looked four or five years older than Emily and Katie guessed she had conceived the twins at an early age. She could not imagine being responsible for another human being at her age, never mind two.  
"How'd you hear about me and Anna?" Emily quizzed as Sharon and Katie took the boys in to the kitchen to help set the table.  
"It's all over _Facebook. _She moves fast like, she's seeing some Sara girl now…fancy a re-bound Ems?" She winked suggestively at the younger girl. Naomi shifted on the sofa beside her, and Emily seemed to remember she was there. She laughed but shook her head.  
"What would your husband say?"  
"Can I watch?" Lucy laughed, she even managed to get a laugh from Naomi. "Henry knows I've still got a soft spot for you." Although she was joking there was a hint of truth to her words.

"You get around." Effy piped up from the other side of the room, a teasing smirk on her lips.  
"I've only slept with three girls!" Emily objected, trying and failing to defend her honour.  
"Three and a half." Naomi and Lucy both spoke at the same time. The older blonde gave Naomi a knowing smile as Emily rolled her eyes.  
"Sadly I wasn't one of them." Lucy supplied helpfully.  
"Well I was only fourteen when we went out." Emily reminded her.

"You two went out?" Katie chose to walk back in to the room just as Emily made her admission, asking the question Naomi had wanted to.  
"She was my first girlfriend. I'd known I was gay for a while, but when I was fourteen I told Sharon. I cried my eyes out as I told her I was in love with a girl in the street. She told me to go for it."  
"I didn't realise it was my eighteen year old daughter." Sharon scorned. The 'relationship', if it could be called that, had only lasted a few weeks and had never gone further than innocent kissing. Lucy had met Henry a few months later and they had gotten married when they realised Lucy had fallen pregnant. Henry was a good man and he and Emily had always gotten on well. He worked hard and cared for his family. Lucy and Emily had remained close; they had grown up like sisters after all. The older girl had chosen Emily as a bridesmaid and she was godmother to the twins. Though they referred to her as an auntie.

"Emily's going to be my girlfriend when I'm older!" Caelan declared proudly. "Ryan can marry Katie." He added as an afterthought. Being the oldest Caelan tended to do most of the talking for the both of them as well as making the decisions. Ryan was a follower, hiding in his brother's shadow. The younger boy was sweet and timid and eager to please. Emily had never really thought about it much but as she watched the boys that afternoon she began to wonder what she might have been like had she grown up with Katie. She was younger by six minutes and she had a feeling Katie would have been like Caelan, deciding who and what Emily should be. She shuddered at the thought of how repressed she would have been had she grown up with Jenna Fitch for a mother and Katie for a sister. They would probably still be wearing matching outfits. She supposed it wouldn't have been all bad though. She would have met Naomi sooner.

Once Lucy and the twins had left the girls all went upstairs to their rooms to get changed for their girls night out. Naomi sat on the floor, curling her hair in front of a hand mirror, while Emily fussed over what to wear. "So, you and Lucy?" The blonde brought the subject up out of the blue, though Emily had been expecting an interrogation ever since Naomi had learnt of her ex. Emily tried to keep a straight face and not laugh at the blonde's predictability.  
"Me and Luce." She replied, a small smile tugging at her lips as she finally decided on what to wear. Shimmying out of her jeans she crossed the room in her underwear and her t-shirt. Naomi's eyes followed her through the mirror as she bent down to get something out of her suitcase.  
"How old is she anyway?" The blonde tried to make her tone flippant and not really interested.

"She's twenty two." Emily answered as she pulled her T-shirt over her head and stepped in to a rich purple dress. The material draped at the front, coming down to a thick black band of material that served as a belt. She slipped it over her shoulders and then turned to Naomi to ask her to zip it up. "She'd just turned eighteen when we got together. She'd been seeing this guy off and on for ages and he'd been hitting her. I think I was just a safe option for her at the time. It wasn't anything serious between us; we only went out for a few weeks. She met Henry the same year and fell pregnant with the twins." Emily answered the questions she knew the other girl would ask next. "We never had sex."

"So it wasn't Lucy on the pool table?" Naomi teased as she pulled the zip up on the back of Emily's dress. One hand rested on Emily's hip to keep the fabric in place as she tugged the zip up.  
"That was Anna." Emily admitted in a quiet voice. She didn't really feel like getting in to a conversation about her exes so she changed the conversation as she pulled away and started applying the finishing touches to her makeup. "You hoping to pull tonight then? Get a bit cock." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at the blonde.  
"Maybe." She shrugged without commitment as she fluffed her hair up a little in the mirror. "Not like I can pull and invite a guy back to the top bunk."  
"Well don't go back to anyone's house." Emily warned. "We're leaving tomorrow afternoon and I am not running around Newcastle looking for you."  
"You'll just have to keep an eye on me then." Naomi shot back with a smirk as she applied her lipstick. "And Katie and Effy." She quickly added.

"I think Katie and Effy can take care of each other." Emily grumbled under her breath as she followed the blonde out of the room and downstairs to the living room. Effy was already sitting there, sharing a bottle of wine with Sharon. Katie took her sweet time getting ready as usual so Emily fetched a glass for her and Naomi too. It had gone eight by the time Katie finally finished getting ready and appeared downstairs. They were all already quite buzzed as a taxi arrived at nine to take them in to town. Emily took them to a trebles bar for starters, where a group of lads tried their best to hit on Emily and Katie. Effy rolled her eyes as Katie shamelessly flirted with one of them, trying to get Emily involved and playing on the twin things. She was certain the eldest Fitch was only doing it to annoy her as it had been months since she had shagged anyone other than Effy herself. There was the odd flirt and a grope with boys at clubs, but she always ended up going home with Effy. "Maybe you and your sister can come back to mine." The guy Katie was flirting with leered. Losing the last of her patience Effy walked past Katie and softly shoved Emily back against the pillar she was standing by. She kissed her like she would kiss Katie, long and slow, running her fingers through the other girl's hair before pulling back. Emily was left open mouthed and speechless.

"She's taken." She snapped at the leering bloke and she was not talking about Emily. Katie took it the wrong way and went in to a huff, flirting with him all the more. She was all over him in the bar, sitting on his knee and practically eating his face as they snogged. Effy sat quietly fuming beside Emily, only half listening to the conversation she and Naomi were having. When Katie pried herself away from the bloke's lap to go to the toilet Effy followed her. "What the fuck?" Katie snapped as Effy barged in to the cubicle with her, slamming and locking the door behind her. She roughly pulled the smaller girl in close and crushed their lips together. When she finally pulled away both girls were breathless. Effy still held the other girl close and ran a teasing hand under her dress and up her thigh. Katie gasped as she pinched her soft flesh and whispered harshly in her ear.

"You can flirt with any loser you want, you can suck his dick in the middle of the bar for all I care…just remember whose bed you're sharing tonight. And whose name you're going to be screaming." She bit at Katie's earlobe, something that never failed to work on her, and the younger girl shivered in anticipation.  
"Why wait?" She leant forward to kiss the teasing girl, only to have Effy pull away and shake her head. She unlocked the door with a smirk.  
"Because I said so." She replied matter-of-factly, slipping out of the cubicle before Katie could object. She knew how to play the smaller girl and knew all too well how riled Katie would be all night. She would not give the creep at the bar a second thought when her mind was on just how Effy would rip her name from her lips later.

They moved on to another bar. It was livelier and the dance floor was crowded. Katie was in her element as she dragged Effy to dance. Emily snaked through the crowd with Naomi in tow and flashed the barmaid a smile. "Emily!" She came around the other side of the bar and crushed the smaller girl in tight hug. "Heard about you and Anna. You doing ok?" Emily's 'friend' was a little too friendly in Naomi's opinion as her hand lingered low on her back. She shot Naomi a look, weighing her up. Emily pulled away from the other girl's touch, insisting she was fine and promising to catch up with her later. Once they had their drinks Emily made her way over to one of the tables by the door. She had been stopped by three different girls and a guy just crossing over from the bar. Emily was certainly popular. She greeted them all with a wide smile and made small talk, insisting she was fine about her and Anna's breakup and declining offers of a drink from at least two of the girls. As they took a seat she leant over and shouted over the music.

"How long do you think it will take Katie to figure out this is a gay bar?" She laughed as Naomi's eyes widened and she craned her neck to take in her surroundings. The blonde had failed to pick up on just how many same sex couples there were in the bar. She felt stupid for not picking up on the kind of bar they were sitting in. Katie would freak when she found out. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from the raging lesbians." She teased, her breath hot and ticklish against Naomi's as she leant in close to be heard. Naomi's stomach was doing flips and her head felt fuzzy from the wine and the shorts they had been drinking. As she turned her head to speak in to Emily's ear her lips brushed against the other girl's cheek.  
"Oh, and who's going to protect you?"

"Fucks sake, how many girls do you know?" Naomi grumbled as Emily said goodbye to a group of girls who had started talking to her as they stood outside smoking. It was close to two in the morning and people had been talking to Emily all night. With Katie and Effy disappearing off by themselves in every bar they went to that left Naomi sitting like a gooseberry as Emily talked to her friends. Effy had eventually sent Naomi a garbled text message that she presumed was supposed to say the other two girls had gone back to Sharon's an hour ago. Naomi had overcompensated for being left to her own devices by drinking as much as she could, and as such she could barely see straight as she sat on a low wall behind the club they had wandered to.  
"Aww, jealous?" Emily teased, fuelled by Dutch courage.  
"No." Naomi pulled a face at her, sulking as usual. "I'm just sick of all those bimbos glaring at me because they think I'm fucking the legendary Emily Fitch." There was a bitterness to her tone that would have hurt the other girl to hear, but the petulant pout on her lips was too funny for Emily to take her serious.

"They know I'm not fucking you." Emily giggled as she stood in front of her. She pressed her lips against the blonde's, pulling away before Naomi had even had a chance to respond. "You'd be smiling more if I was." With a wink she turned to walk away. Naomi caught her arm and pulled her back. Emily stumbled forward and put her arms on Naomi's shoulders to steady herself. The blonde's arms wrapped around her small waist, keeping her in place.  
"I think you're all talk Fitch."  
"Want to be proven wrong?" Emily fired back, her tone cocky as she straddled the blonde's legs. Naomi was suddenly very glad she was sitting down as she had the smaller girl's body pressed up against her.

Naomi's voice was shaky as Emily's lips ghosted across her own. "What do you have in mind?"


	14. Chapter 14

Naomi wasn't entirely sure how long the drive back to Sharon's house took. She was simply aware that Emily Fitch had stopped kissing her in order to pay the driver and she was not happy. She sat forward in her seat, her lips finding the slender column of Emily's neck. The driver was too busy watching what Naomi was doing to notice the ten pound note Emily was handing over. She rolled her eyes as he finally took it and she managed to persuade Naomi to stop kissing her long enough for them to go out of the car. The drunken blonde stumbled up to Sharon's gate, impatiently fighting with the catch. "Not there." Emily corrected her as she took her hand and led her up the drive of the house next door. There was no way she was spending the night with Naomi in a bunk bed with her twin in the room next door.

She pulled out her keys and slip0ped the familiar little silver key in to the lock of her front door. The catch clicked as she turned the lock and opening the door was like stepping back in time. She quietly led Naomi upstairs, forgetting her dad was no longer there to catch her sneaking in to the house with a girl. The power had been cut off a few days before Emily left for Bristol and so she had to blindly lead the other girl to her room. Once they were inside she safely sat Naomi down on her bed. The blonde giggled as she caught hold of Emily's arm and pulled her down with her. "It's not a pool table, suppose it will have to do." Naomi leant in to kiss her as Emily surged forward to do the same. Their foreheads collided with a smack and both girls burst in to a fit of laughter. Emily tried again and found the other girl's welcoming lips. They tasted liked cherry lip balm and Jaeger and to Emily it was the most exquisite taste in the world. Naomi ran a hand down her bare arm, eliciting a shudder from the smaller girl as she trailed down and reached her thigh. The redhead felt giddy and nervous as Naomi reached up again and pulled down the zip on her dress. She giggled for no reason as the blonde's fingers brushed against her bare back. She felt fifteen again, doing it for the first time and not having a clue what to do.

Finally her brain kicked in to gear as the dress was slipped off her shoulders and Naomi's lips found the soft flesh of her collar, trailing kisses down to her chest. She rolled them over so that Emily was kneeling over the blonde on the bed as she pulled her dress off over her head. She felt a flicker of self-consciousness as she sat in her only her underwear with Naomi's eyes raking over every inch of her body. "You're beautiful." Naomi finally spoke.

"You're wearing too many clothes." Emily pointed out; her voice huskier than the blonde had ever heard it. Naomi quickly rectified the clothing situation by pulling her top over her head and tossing it somewhere across the room. Her fingers stumbled over the buttons of her jeans, an unhelpful mixture of too much alcohol and sheer impatience making it impossible for her to undo the three buttons she needed to take her pants off. Emily shooed her hands away and made it look easy as she undid each button in turn. She helped the blonde pull the skinny jeans down her legs. They got stuck once they got to her ankles and Naomi had to unceremoniously kick and wriggle her legs free, almost knocking Emily off the bed in the process. She was red faced as she finally kicked the offending jeans on to the floor and pulled Emily in for a well-deserved kiss.

The redhead lay over her, their bodies pressed together like two pieces of a puzzle. It was unseasonably warm for Mid-March, even with no heating on in the house and they were quite comfortable lying on top of the covers. Emily eagerly took in every inch of the other girl's body, mapping it out with her lips and committing every detail to memory. Naomi let out an involuntary gasp as Emily's lips reached the waistband of her underwear. She stiffened as Emily went to remove them. "We can stop?" Emily's voice was barely a whisper as she paused in the darkness, her eyes wide and searching as they met Naomi's. The blonde's heart was racing against her chest. It was by no means her first time, but it felt different with Emily. Somehow it felt more intimate, as though if she went through with it she would be giving up part of herself.

"No." She shook her head, making up her mind as she slipped her underwear off, her defences coming down as well. She wanted this. She wanted Emily Fitch. Emily moved slowly, carefully trying not to spook the other girl. She knew how fickle Naomi could be and how easily she could change her mind, no matter how inebriated she was. She slowly kissed her way up the blonde's thigh, stopping as she tensed again. She waited for the other girl's body to relax and was given permission to carry on as Naomi's hands became tangled in her red locks. She felt the other girl's fists clench, pulling her hair as Emily's lips made contact with her sensitive flesh.

The blonde's hips began to buck as the pressure built up in her body. Her breath came out in short rasps as Emily pushed her closer and closer to release. Emily felt Naomi's muscles beginning to tense and pulled back, prolonging her sweet torture of the other girl. She had spent far too long fantasizing about having Naomi Campbell writhing beneath her to let it be over so soon. "Don't stop." Naomi pleaded, her voice strained as Emily pulled away all together. Her lips found the blonde's before curling up in to a smirk. She had no intentions of stopping.

A/N: Apologies for the lack of updates the last couple of days, and for how short this one is. I've been doing ten hour shifts at work as I'm acting store manager this week, so pretty much living there at the moment.


	15. Chapter 15

As Emily drifted in and out of consciousness she was aware of the dull ache spread throughout her body. It was not unpleasant; it was the kind of exhaustion that came from staying up half the night and was more than worth it. Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the darkness in the room. The thick curtains were pulled over, blocking out any light. It felt good to be waking up in familiar surroundings for a change. From the sheets on the bed to the long thin crack in the ceiling above her bed. She stretched her tired limbs, indulging in spreading out across the full bed. She scowled as her fingers brushed against the sheets, finding no sign of Naomi.

Turning over she sat up as she found the blonde was gone. "Fuck." She had a bad feeling as she pushed the covers back. Ignoring the discarded pile of clothes on the floor, and the fact that none of them were Naomi's, on she padded over to her wardrobe and pulled out her dressing gown. She had left quite a bit of her stuff in her room, only taking what she would need to get her through her few months in Bristol. In all honesty she had never intended on spending a week there never mind a month. "Naomi?" She called out to the blonde as she descended the stairs, hoping she had not left all together while she was sleeping.

"What are you doing out of bed?" The blonde appeared at the sound of Emily calling her name. There was a playful smile tugging at her lips and Emily instantly felt relief flooding through her body. It would have crushed her to see the blonde rejecting her yet again after the night they had spent together.  
"What are you doing out of bed?" Emily countered, genuinely curious as to why Naomi had left her sleeping by herself and had collected her clothes from the various places they had landed around Emily's room.  
"Making you breakfast in bed, so get back in to bed!"

Emily giggled as Naomi shooed her back to bed. She felt giddy as she pulled off her dressing gown and replaced it with one of her bed T-shirts from the chest of drawers in the corner. Naomi wasn't running away. She wasn't protesting she was straight or blaming everything on the amount of alcohol she had consumed the night before. She was making breakfast. Though how she was managing to do that with an empty fridge and no electricity was beyond Emily. As the other girl finally came back upstairs Emily understood why she had needed her clothes. She carried a paper bag from the deli a few streets down. She pulled out two cups of coffee, tasting one to see which one it was before handing it over to Emily. She followed it with a muffin, which Emily happily took as the blonde kicked off her shoes and climbed on to the bed.

"Making breakfast?" Emily teased as she pulled the wrapper off the chocolate muffin. The blonde shrugged as she took a long gulp of her own coffee.  
"Not really a breakfast person. What?" She added as Emily sat biting her lip and looking bashful.  
"I thought you'd left." She said in a quiet voice. Naomi picked at the label on her plastic cup, unable to look up at Emily.  
"I did." She admitted with a sigh. "I woke up next to you and I panicked. I just started walking and then I found the coffee place. I've been sitting there since it opened at seven." A quick glance at her bedside clock told Emily it was after nine. "I kept going over everything in my head and I thought about what it would be like when you woke up and I had just left…I came back and you were still sleeping-" Naomi trailed off as Emily, who had set her 'breakfast' aside, shifted on the bed so that she was sitting on Naomi's lap. The oversized bed shirt she wore came down just below her thighs, leaving her bare legs pressed against Naomi's body. She had bed hair and full swollen lips that had Naomi's pulse racing as her wide doe eyes seemed to stare straight in to her soul. It was terrifying and comforting at the same time and Naomi couldn't help the little moan that escaped her lips as Emily kissed a path along from her ear down to her jaw.

"You came back." Emily repeated her words. And the blonde was thankful she had returned as Emily's lips found hers. She reached under her top, her soft warm hands running up and down Naomi's sides, brushing against the underside of her breasts. The only item of clothing Naomi had not been able to find as she stumbled around in the darkness that morning had been her bra. With the curtains finally open she could see it hanging over the television fixed to the wall opposite the bed. "Round two?" Emily giggled as her nimble fingers popped open the buttons of Naomi's jeans.

"More like round twenty-two." Naomi mumbled through a kiss, though she was far from complaining.

Katie was used to waking up alone. She lay awake in bed contemplating the night before. Effy had riled her by kissing Emily. Though Katie knew it was just to make her jealous it had still been a cheap shot. It was bad enough Campbell was sniffing around her sister without Effy joining in. They had left the other two early last night and made their way back to Sharon's, collapsing in to bed with each other. Katie winced as she sat up, her body aching. They had been angry with each other and had ended up taking it out on their bodies. There was a slight red tint to the skin around Katie's wrists and a fierce bite-mark on her left breast that was turning a sickly purple colour. Katie had given as well as she got though and the evidence was clear as Effy walked in the room wearing a towel. Her hair was damp from the shower and her body glistened with stray drops of water. When she turned her back to Katie to shut the door she could see long deep scratches on her back. She caught Katie appraising her body and dropped the towel. It fell to the floor, adding to the discarded clothing around them. She smirked as Katie frowned. Thinking about Effy and Emily had put her in a sour mood. "Still sulking?" Effy asked, reading her like an open book. "Grow up Katie, it was a fucking kiss."

"With my sister!" Katie snapped before she could stop herself. She had not wanted to be drawn in to Effy's little game, but talking back would only spur Effy on more. The other girl silently slunk over to the bed and climbed under the covers with Katie. Her long lean body was still warm from the shower and her lips twisted in to a smirk as Katie tried to get out of bed. She pulled her back down.  
"Don't worry Katie. I still think you're the prettiest." Effy was playing to her ego, indulging Katie to throw her off guard. It worked. As it always did, and the eldest Fitch put up no objection as Effy began kissing her.

It had always been that way between the two of them, right from the start of college. Effy had charmed her in to bed after a particularly wild night out at some party Cook had taken them all too. They had only been friends for about a month and for the next two months solid they were at it like rabbits whenever Katie was drunk enough to allow herself to give in to the temptation of Effy Stonem whispering what she would like to do to her in her ear. The first time it had happened when Katie was sober they had been arguing. Katie had blown out Panda's birthday party to go on a date and Effy had not taken it well. She had turned up at the pub they were in, thrown a drink over Katie's date and dragged her to the car. They had started to argue in the car park and Katie was close to slapping the other girl when Effy had crushed their lips together out of nowhere. The sex had been rushed and angry, more a way for Effy to mark her territory than anything else. She had insisted she was taking Katie to the party for Panda's sake, but Katie knew even then that Effy was jealous. Katie had refused to let her touch her until the next time they were off their heads. After a while it became evident Effy wanted more than no strings attached sex and as much as Katie cfraved Effy's attention she just couldn't allow it to be more than sex.

"Besides, Emily's only interested in Naomi." Effy's words brought Katie crashing back down to earth. She pushed her away, pulling the covers around herself.  
"No she's not!" Katie objected. "They're just friends, she fucking told me so." Her anger had increased tenfold at Effy's suggestion of something between Katie's twin and Naomi Campbell.  
"Right." Effy rolled her eyes condescendingly. "That's why neither of them came back last night. Wonder what they're doing."  
"Just fuck off Effy, yeah." Katie grumbled as she slipped out of bed and began pulling clothes on, intending to find her wayward sister. Effy let out a hollow laugh.  
"You can't fucking stand it can you? The thought of Emily having something you don't? Oh wait, you've had Naomi-" Katie's hand acted of its own accord and slapped Effy hard across the cheek. The other girl was stunned in to silence as Katie fumed.  
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. That dyke kissed me!"

"Of course Katie, because you're as straight as they come." Effy had never been one to leave well enough alone and her last comment pretty much guaranteed Katie would go nowhere near her for weeks. Her cheek still stung from the slap though and she wanted to hurt the other girl back. Her words had their desired effect and Katie slammed the door behind her as she stormed out in search of Emily. Effy really hoped she would not find Emily and Naomi together. The eldest twin would probably have a meltdown.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates the past couple of days. I've been living at work and also developed some unhelpful writers block with this. Managed to get out a few chapters of another Naomily fic I'm working on which seemed to clear it up.

"We should probably get up." Emily sighed, her fingers idly tracing patterns across the other girl's naked back. Naomi mumbled something in response in to the pillow her face was buried in. They had spent the entire morning in bed and Naomi's clothes were once again scattered around the room. She lay on her stomach, content with Emily's fingers trailing over her back, forming intricate patterns and tickling her delicate skin. The other girl's lips replaced her fingers and Naomi gave up all hope on ever getting out of bed again. "The others will be wondering where we are." Emily's words brought the blonde crashing back down to reality. They would eventually have to get out of bed and face the rest of the world. Emily picked up on her unease and wrapped her arms around her protectively.

"It's ok." She sighed in her ear, her lips tickling Naomi's earlobe. "We can keep this between us." She felt the blonde relax a little against her and knew she had said the right thing. It wasn't like she was going to tell Katie about what had happened between the two of them anyway, and Jenna didn't even know she was gay. That only really left Cook and Effy and they would probably guess what was going on anyway. It would be hard going back to Bristol and keeping her hands off the blonde around the others. She would manage somehow though. The last thing she wanted was to drive the blonde away. Naomi rolled over to face her.

"I just don't like people knowing my business, you know? And I could do without Katie going off on one at me. She'd probably come after me with one of her fucking stilettos if she found out." Emily giggled at that, earning a scowl from the other girl. "Yeah it's bloody hilarious."  
"Awww, I'll protect you babes." Emily emphasised her point with a long slow kiss. "I'd take a stiletto for you any day…We are going to have to go next door soon though."

Naomi grumbled in to the pillow, but relented and rolled out of bed. She collected her clothes from around the room, rolling her eyes as Emily came up behind her, her slender arms wrapping around the blonde's waist.  
"Not helping." She mumbled as Emily began kissing her neck, though her objections were half-hearted. "We're supposed to be getting ready."  
"I am." Emily objected ever so innocently as her hands slipped lower. "Need a shower." Her words sounded like an invitation and Naomi's body was responding with a definite yes. Her skin felt on fire everywhere Emily was touching her and her mind was racing as the other girl's husky voice purred in her ear. "You coming?"

"Might as well." Naomi let out an overdramatic sigh, trying to hide just how enticing Emily's offer was. "You usually walk in on me in the shower anyway."  
"What can I say? I have great timing." Emily giggled as she led Naomi out of her room and down the hall to the bathroom. She started the water in the walk in shower and then closed the door over to let it warm up. Naomi stood by the door, at a loss for what she was supposed to be doing. She had never showered with anyone before. The excitement of having Emily pressed against her body and whispering sweet temptations in to her ear was all well and good, but as she stood in the bathroom she began to have doubts. Emily seemed to pick up on the shift in her mood and walked over to her, kissing her softly. Naomi's body began to respond of its own accord and she put up no objections as Emily took hold of the hem of the T-shirt she had slipped on. She pulled it over the blonde's head, her lips instantly finding the other girl's again once the garment had been tossed aside. Naomi felt self-conscious as she stood before Emily as naked as the day she had been born. To even things out a little she helpfully relived Emily of her own clothes.

With the water warm enough Emily led the blonde in to the shower and under the hot spray. As soon as the door was closed behind them Emily's lips were on the blonde. She kissed her neck and shoulders as her arms wrapped around her waist, keeping their bodies flush together as she stood behind the other girl. Naomi's senses were under assault as the water pounded down on her and Emily's lips seemed to be everywhere at once. She turned to face the other girl, capturing her roaming lips for a long deep kiss. Emily took a step back, her body pressing up against the glass door of the shower cubicle. "Cold! Cold!" She giggled as she surged forward, wrapping herself around the other girl.  
"Want to get out?" Naomi teased, her arms wrapping tightly around the smaller girl even as she asked.  
"Not a chance."

"Where have you been?" Katie was on Emily the second the two girls walked through the door. Emily's hair was still wet from the shower and had hastily been pulled up. Naomi noticed her cardigan was on inside out and stifled a giggle. They had hastily gotten dressed after their shower. Twice.

"Next door." Emily replied, ignoring the way Katie was glaring at the two of them. "Naomi was helping me sort some of Dad's stuff. Here." Emily pulled a photo album out of the bag she had filled before they'd left next door. She handed it over to Katie with a small smile. The other girl lost her frown as she looked through the album. It was full of pictures of Emily and her dad. "I thought maybe you'd like to see some pictures of dad."  
"Thanks babes!" Katie's face lit up and she pulled her twin in for a crushing hug. The album did the trick of distracting Katie enough to leave the two girls alone for the rest of the afternoon.

Katie sat in the living room, leafing through the pictures while Emily and Naomi helped Sharon with the Sunday dinner. When Naomi went out for a cigarette Sharon shot Emily a knowing smile. "Naomi's a nice girl." Emily rolled her eyes, knowing what was to come. Sharon had been like a mother to her since she was thirteen years old and knew the smaller girl all too well.  
"Yeah. She is." Emily couldn't keep the smile off her face as she thought of the blonde. She had felt something between the two of them since her first night in Bristol and to finally have Naomi admitting it felt good.  
"I didn't like that Anna." The only girl Emily had ever dated that Sharon had liked was Lucy, her daughter. Even then she had not been ecstatic about it. For her to call Naomi a 'nice girl' was practically a standing ovation. "She didn't make you happy, and you more than anyone deserve a bit of happiness love."  
"I can make you happy." Lucy walked through the door, smirking as her mother frowned at her. Ryan was clinging to her leg. The little boy was sulking and looked like he had been crying. His face lit up as he saw Emily. She scooped him up in to her arms, cuddling her Godson.

"Hey little man. What's wrong with your face?" Lucy threw her a grateful smile as she was able to sit down at the kitchen table without Ryan clinging to her leg.  
"Caelan's being mean." The youngest twin sulked. He had spent his short life in his brother's shadow and would let the older boy walk over him. He would sulk and resent his older twin, though he would never argue with Caelan or hit him back. "Just cause he's older. I hate him!"  
"No you don't." Emily scorned, though her tone of voice was soft. "He's your brother. And not just any old brother, you're twins and that is super special. Know why?" The little boy shook his head, wiping at his eyes. "Because you started off as one tiny little baby in mummy's tummy-"  
"Was that Caelan?" The four year old interrupted. He was too young for Emily to explain how twins really formed, so she nodded in agreement.  
"Yip. But Caelan was all alone in there and so he decided to split himself in two, so he had a brother-"  
"Me!" Ryan exclaimed excitedly, his eyes lighting up.

"Exactly." She put the little boy down. "So no matter how mean Caelan is, or what he says, he loves you very much and if you weren't there he'd be very sad." She gave him one last squeeze before sending him in to the living room with his brother. He passed Naomi on his way out the door.  
"Good night?" Lucy asked the blonde as she took a seat next to Emily at the kitchen table. Emily tensed, the way Lucy was smirking she must have known Emily and Naomi had slept next door. No doubt her mother had been straight on the phone to her the moment the two girls walked back in the house. She wasn't sure how Naomi would react to anyone knowing.  
"Yeah." Naomi replied somewhat quietly as she picked up her cup of tea. "It was ok." Her other hand found Emily's thigh under the table.

"Ems? Mum's on the phone, what time are we getting back?" Naomi's hand jerked away as Katie walked in to the kitchen. She had her mobile to her ear. Emily tried not to take it personally as Naomi subconsciously shifted away; she knew as well as Naomi that her sister would flip if she found out about them. Whatever it was they had.  
"We'll leave after lunch, should be home about seven or eight." Once Katie had her answer she disappeared back in to the living room. Naomi's hands stayed where they were, wrapped around her cup.

She kept her distance from Emily for the rest of the afternoon, playing with the boys in the living room while Emily helped prepare lunch. It was only after they'd eaten and the girls had all gone upstairs to pack that they were alone in the same room together. "I'm sorry." Naomi mumbled as she sat down on the lower bunk. It sounded like the start of some long speech, though the other girl lapsed in to silence. Emily stood in front of her, unsure of what she was supposed to say back to that. Naomi took her silence the wrong way. "I said I was sorry ok? It's just _this _is new." She sighed as though all of the fight had gone out of her. "And I need time to adjust to _this_, before anyone else does."

"What is _this?_" Emily knew exactly what she was talking about, but she needed the other girl to say it out loud.  
"Us." Naomi finally answered. She tugged on the hem of Emily's shirt to pull her down on to the bunk with her. Emily's smile was wide and infectious.  
"So there's an us then?" The smaller girl teased as she climbed on to Naomi's lap to kiss her.  
"There is most definitely an us."


	17. Chapter 17

"I'll get your bag." Emily followed Naomi out of the car and took her backpack out of the boot. She walked Naomi up to her door and handed it over.  
"Thanks. I could have carried it though."  
"Yeah, but I wasn't going to get my goodbye kiss in front of Katie was I?" Emily was thankful Effy had had to park halfway up the street because of other cars.  
"Oh, who said you were getting one at all?" Naomi teased, leaning casually against her door like her heart wasn't racing at the thought of kissing Emily again. It had been a long car ride home, stuck within centimetres of the girl and unable to touch her. She knew things would be harder in Bristol. They would have to hide their relationship from Katie and the others, but they could make it work.  
"I did." Emily replied matter-of-factly. She tipped her head up to meet the blonde's lips, savouring the familiar taste of cherry lip balm. Naomi wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, eagerly kissing her back.

"Fucking great." Something caught Katie's attention in the rear-view mirror as she sat in Effy's car. "Dipshit's left her phone." Naomi's mobile lay discarded on the backseat. Katie unbuckled her seatbelt and fetched the phone from the back. Begrudgingly she walked down to Naomi's house to give it back to her. Emily was taking her sweet time coming back as it was, the last thing Katie wanted was for her sister to have an excuse to go back when she finally did drag herself away. She stopped in her tracks as she reached Naomi's gate. Emily was stood at the door, her lips locked with the other girl's. Katie felt anger welling up in inside her. Emily had promised nothing was going on with Campbell. She had lied to her face.

The eldest Fitch stormed up the driveway. Naomi saw her first and pulled back from Emily, she looked torn between fear and guilt as Katie glared at her. "You left your phone." She thrust it at Naomi before turning her back and storming back to the car without another word.  
"Fuck." Naomi ran a hand through her long blonde hair and cursed again. "FUCK!"  
"It'll be ok." Emily tried to reassure her with a hand on her shoulder, but Naomi flinched and pulled away from her touch.  
"No it won't! Katie ruined my fucking life before and now…fuck!"  
"I'll talk to her. I promise." Emily knew better than to try and touch her again and she left to follow Katie. She caught up with her halfway back to the car. "Katie wait! About what just happened-"  
"Look Ems, I don't care if you're fucking Campbell." It was a lie. Emily could tell. Katie was seething below the surface, yet she was brushing off what she had just seen like it was nothing. Her candour worried Emily more than any sort of hissy fit ever could. "It's your fucking business."  
"Yeah it is." Emily quietly agreed. Something was off about her twin that she just couldn't put her finger on. It was like the calm before the storm.

Katie was quiet all the way back. When Emily got out of the car outside their house Katie hung back to talk to Effy. "You were right." She muttered bitterly. "They're fucking."  
"What do you care?" Effy's tone was harsher than she intended and it rubbed Katie up the wrong way.  
"I don't want that fucking dyke hanging around with her."  
"Who, Naomi? Or Emily?" Effy knew she had gone too far as the smaller girl slammed the car door shut behind her, almost taking it off its hinges. She had a feeling Katie would not be sharing her bed again for a while.

Inside the Fitch house Emily went straight upstairs to her room, while Katie stayed downstairs to tell her mother about their weekend. She locked her door and pulled out her phone. She was about to call Naomi when her phone started ringing in her hand. Effy's name flashed on her screen. "Want to get fucked up?" She didn't bother with the pleasantries of a hello. "I'm still outside." Emily silently crept down the stairs and managed to open and close the door with only the slightest of noise. From inside the living room Katie saw her crossing the garden and getting back in to Effy's car.  
"Mum, I'm going out!"

"Katie's pissed off at me isn't she?" Emily asked as Effy put the car in to gear and pulled out.  
"Me too." Effy agreed. She took a familiar turn which if Emily remembered correctly would take them towards Effy's house.  
"I don't get what her problem with Naomi is. I mean one fucking kiss couldn't cause all this shit. They're constantly at each other's throats-" Effy was as frank as ever as she interrupted the other girl.  
"They should just fuck and get it over with."

Katie had waited until Effy's car had disappeared from sight before slipping out of the house. She had lied to Jenna, telling her she had left her coursework at Effy's and needed to go get it. It didn't take her long to reach her true destination, though it took her a good five minutes to knock on the door. "What the fuck do you want?" Naomi snarled as she opened the door and found Katie standing in front of her. It was not the twin had she been expecting. Though she had expected a string of abusive text messages or a threatening phone call from Katie. Not a home visit.

"Stay away from Emily." Katie spoke as though she had just made a reasonable request and did not flinch as the other girl flew off in a rant at her.  
"Where do you get off telling me what to do? I like Emily ok? A lot. Nothing you can say will-"  
"Break it off with Emily or I'll tell."  
"Tell?" Naomi scoffed. "What are we, five?"  
"Not. And we're not fourteen anymore." Katie replied, an edge to her tone. She spoke calmly as she continued, her words chilling Naomi to the bone. "Keep away from my sister or I'll tell her everything."  
"You wouldn't." Naomi objected, she was sure Katie would not risk telling anyone the secrets they shared.  
"She'll be more pissed at you than me." Katie pointed out and Naomi hated to admit it but she was probably right. She should have been honest with Emily from the start, but it was too late now. She had no choice.  
"Okay." She let out a deep sigh, hating Katie more than she ever had before. Katie had taken everything from her once before and there she was doing it all over again. "I'll end it."  
"I knew you'd see sense babes." Katie blew her a kiss as she turned to leave and Naomi had to supress the urge to throttle her. She fucking hated Katie Fitch.

It was still early when Naomi turned up at college. She sat on the stairs around the back of the building, her favourite place to smoke between classes. She'd sent Emily a text asking her to meet her there before the start of college. As the redhead walked up to her she felt her stomach drop and her heart flutter. She smiled down at the blonde. "What's with the early start? I could have come by your house."  
"No." Naomi replied flatly. She hated herself for what she was about to do, but she had no choice. "We need to talk." There was something familiar in her tone of voice and the way she was looking helplessly up at Emily. The smaller girl knew what was coming.  
"I'm sorry Emily. I can't do this. You're a girl and I'm not ready for something like this-" Her excuses sounded lame even to her own ears and the other girl certainly wasn't buying them either.  
"Don't you dare lie to me. This isn't about being gay or straight. You like me, I know you do, so what's the problem?"  
"I can't do this." Naomi couldn't look at her as she answered; she kept her gaze low and her voice shook as she spoke. As Emily took a good luck at her she realised her eyes were red raw as though she had been crying all night. She looked terrible. "Not with you. I'm sorry."

"Not with me?" Emily's own voice was cracking as tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away, forcing herself to stay strong. "Why not me? Is this about you and Katie? That fucking kiss must have really been something to fuck the two of you up this much!" Something flittered across Naomi's face. A single fleeting flash off guilt crossed her face at the mention of Emily's twin and it told her everything she needed to know.  
"Oh my god. Effy was right." She shook her head as she slumped back on to the stairs. She let out a bitter laugh. "You and Katie…that's why the two of you are always at each other's throats. Why you're both so fucking eager for everyone to think you're both straight."  
"It's not what you think." Naomi's eyes were wide and pleading as she tried to make Emily understand.  
"So explain it to me. Let me in Naomi!" The redheaded pleaded as she closed the distance between them. Naomi pulled away, shaking her head as Emily tried to kiss her. As though a kiss could make everything right again.

"I can't. I'm sorry. Please, you have to understand. I just can't do this Emily."  
"Not with me." Emily repeated the blonde's earlier words with bitterness. She was sick and tired of playing games with Naomi Campbell. "What about Katie?"  
"This isn't about Katie!" Naomi snapped. It was a lie of course, but she needed Emily to believe her. The last thing she needed was for Emily to go running off to Katie, who would undoubtedly run her mouth off.  
"That's funny. She catches us kissing last night and this morning you're dumping me. How is this not about Katie?"  
"There is no us." Naomi's words cut her deeply. She had chosen them carefully, knowing full well they would give Emily the final push she would need to hate her. "I'm sorry. It was a mistake."


	18. Chapter 18

"What the fuck did you say to Naomi?" Katie had barely stepped foot out of Effy's car when her twin set on her.  
"Excuse you?" Katie snapped, pretending she had no idea why Emily's eyes were red and her voice was raised. "What's that lezzer been doing now?"  
"You fucking said something to her didn't you?" Emily continued, not buying her sweet and innocent act for a minute. She felt her temper growing and her patience shrinking as Katie carried on pretending she had no idea what she was talking about. "What the fuck is going on between the two of you? Are you fucking her as well as Effy?"

Katie's hand rose up, intending to slap her twin. Effy stepped in the middle of them, taking hold of Katie's hand and yanking it down. She was protecting Katie, not Emily. Her voice was low and serious as she spoke. "Back off Emily." She towered over Emily and though she looked as though a slight breeze could bowl her over there was a hardness to Effy's expression that warned Emily to do as she was told.  
"Naomi won't talk to me, and it's her fault! She said something to her, I know she did!" Emily replied, though some of the fight had gone from her voice and she felt herself deflating, despair taking over the anger.  
"Go calm down Emily. You don't want to do something you regret."  
"Regret? The biggest regret of my life was coming here in the first place!"  
"Ems." Katie tried to get past her newfound human shield to reach out for her twin. She pulled away shaking her head. She wanted nothing to do with her sister. Just as she wanted nothing to do with Bristol.

Ignoring Katie's pleas to talk to her she shoved past the other two girls. She needed to get away from her overbearing twin. Needed to get some space to clear her head and think things through. Jenna had made it clear the first week she had arrived that she would not force her youngest daughter to stay if she was not happy. Emily was most definitely not happy. She boarded the bus outside college, intending to go home and start packing. She would tell Jenna she was leaving. With any luck she would be in Newcastle before Katie even came home from college. She cursed as she realised the bus was going the wrong way, taking her in to the city centre rather than towards Jenna's house. She dinged the bell to get off and crossed the road for the bus on the other side. She walked right past the stop as a pub caught her eye. It was still early, but the pub was open and already occupied by several old men. Emily felt like a fish out of water as she passed a table of pensioners playing dominos and Vera Lynn played from the jukebox in the corner. The barman was thankfully young enough to have all of his own teeth and he shot Emily a curious smile. Young women were obviously a rarity in the place, especially at ten in the morning. "Hi." Emily forced a coy smile on to her lips as she took a seat on one of the stools by the bar. "Jack and coke please. Double."

She put a tenner down on the bar. The barman took it and picked up a glass. "Bit early." He observed as he sat the glass down in front of her and handed over her change. He had a thick scouse accent that made Emily feel at home. She shrugged as she took a drink. "One of those days?" He leant down on the wooden bar top, offering her a genuine smile. He was probably grateful to have someone closer to his own age to talk to, rather than the pensioners littered around the pub.  
"One of those lives." Emily grumbled in return.  
"Can't be that bad kiddo. Got your whole life ahead of you. Unlike these old codgers." He winked at her as he nodded towards one old man who was slumped over his pint, his eyes closed and his mouth open.  
"My dad died two months ago and I had to move here to live with a mother I thought was dead and a sister I never knew I had. I hate this city and I hate my family."  
"You're still here though." The scouser pointed out. "Must have been something keeping you here all this time."  
"There was." Emily sighed as she finished off her drink in one last gulp. "There was this girl. She says she doesn't want me though…another double please."  
"Think that's a good idea?" He clearly knew she was underage, but it was hardly the type of establishment that asked for ID. Emily pushed another tenner towards him.  
"Best idea I've had all day."

Spending all morning and most of the afternoon drinking had not really been a good idea. It had not been her worst either though. The award for world's worst idea definitely had to be turning up at Naomi's door after an all-day drinking session. She stumbled up the drive and slammed her hand against the door again and again. It was finally opened by a scowling Gina. Emily had never seen the other woman without a smile. "Emily dear? What's going on?" Emily slurred her response and Gina failed to catch a single word. She ushered the tiny girl inside the house and led her straight in to the kitchen. Within minutes she was sitting with a cup of the strongest coffee she had ever tasted in her life. "Naomi's out with Cook. She sounded in a worse state than you. I expect she'll be stumbling through the door soon." Gina was pretty cavalier about her daughter's drinking habits. Though at least Naomi had already turned eighteen and could legally drink. Emily would not be eighteen until June and when the scouse barman had finally stopped serving her around an hour ago she had been unable to get in anywhere else in town. Though the fact that she smelled like a brewery and could hardly stand probably had more to do with being knocked back than her age. "Why don't you go lie down upstairs for a bit, hmm? Just till Naomi gets in aye?" Gina led her up the stairs to Naomi's room and tucked her under the covers once she had climbed in to bed. The pillow smelled of Naomi's shampoo and the scent overpowered her senses as she dropped off to sleep in the other girl's bed.

Sometime later her eyes cracked open as the bed shifted beneath her. "Fuck." She heard Naomi hiss as she kicked off her shoes and they thudded against the floor. Her eyes snapped shut as the blonde looked over her shoulder to check Emily was still sleeping. The smaller girl forced her breathing to sound steady as she faced away from Naomi with her eyes tightly closed. She pulled her T-shirt up over her head, cursing as it got stuck. She finally managed to wriggle free from it and remove her pants without further hassle. She let out a heavy sigh as she flopped down on to the bed. She rolled over to face Emily and tentatively wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She buried her face in the crook of Emily's neck, letting out a smaller sigh. Emily felt her pulse racing and struggled not to make a sound as she heard a strangled sob escape from Naomi's lips. "I'm sorry." It was barely a whisper, but they were pressed so close together that Emily could hear every word. "I can't be strong like you Emily... I should have been honest from the start… but it's too late now. I fucked up Ems. I fucked up and I lost you."  
"Still here aren't I?" Emily couldn't hold her tongue any longer. Naomi stiffened behind her and went to pull back her arms. Emily held them in place around her stomach.  
"Ems I-"

"Do you know why I stayed?" Emily's voice was a quiet whisper in the darkness. She kept her face turned away from the other girl, knowing she was close to crying again. She felt the blonde shake her head behind her. "I hated it when I first got here. I would have left that first night if I hadn't met you…I was ready to leave today. Just pack up and go."  
"Why didn't you?" Naomi's voice was hot and shaky in her ear. Even in a drunken stupor Emily's body was reacting to having the other girl pressed closely against her. The memory of the other girl's body was imprinted on her mind.  
"I got on the wrong bus." Naomi managed a chuckle at that, but the laughter died in her throat and turned in to another sob. "I got drunk and I came here. I don't know why…I just…I don't want to lose you from my life. I don't want to leave."  
"I don't want to lose you either." Naomi sobbed; her tears were wetting the back of Emily's neck. "I just can't-"  
"I know." Emily sighed, her arms still cradling Naomi's around her waist. It took all of the strength she had left to add, "This is enough." It would have to be. She couldn't not have the blonde in her life. If all they could be was friends then she would take what she could get.

"I'm not in the mood." Katie snapped as Effy tried to kiss her ear. She rolled over, turning away from the other girl. She had been quiet and moody all day long and her argument with Emily seemed to be weighing heavily on her mind. Effy was tired of her mardy attitude though and called her on it.  
"You're never in the mood these days. I don't know why you even come over." Effy huffed as she slipped out of bed and climbed on to her windowsill. She pulled a cigarette out of the pack beside her and sparked up, blowing the smoke out of the open window. Katie sat up and rolled over to face her, resting on her elbow.  
"Maybe I want to spend some time with my so called best friend without it being about fucking." She snapped back. "I'm really worried about Ems, she won't pick up her phone." Katie seemed genuinely worried about her twin, but Effy couldn't help scoffing all the same.  
"You did say something to Naomi didn't you?" Effy's piercing stare held the smaller girl's gaze until she finally admitted it.  
"She's a bitch and she'll just hurt Emily! I was doing her a favour!"  
"Sure." Effy didn't sound convinced as she slipped back down from the windowsill. She padded over to the bed, aware Katie was watching her. She smirked as she caught her looking at her and slid in to bed beside her. "I'm not interested in whatever shit's gone on between you and Naomi. I just think you should let Emily make up her own mind about her."

"If you love Campbell so much why don't you go fuck her?" Katie snapped petulantly, jealously lacing her words. Effy rolled her eyes as she pulled the other girl in for a kiss. Katie could pretend that what they had meant nothing to her, but her jealousy gave her away every time. She wanted Effy for herself, even if she couldn't admit it. Effy coaxed her in to kissing her back and felt a smug sense of achievement as the other girl lay back down, taking Effy with her.  
"You know I don't want to fuck _her._" Effy replied as her teeth nipped at Katie's neck, her tone implying she could have Naomi if she wanted to. Katie whimpered as Effy lips started wandering lower. Her voice was low and husky as she added, "Just you."


	19. Chapter 19

"Big date tonight then?" Effy smirked as Naomi glared at her from across the dining table the gang were gathered around for lunch. She didn't miss the uneasy look that flashed across Emily's face. It had been a few weeks since they had taken the trip to Newcastle and they had all settled in to an uneasy truce. Emily and Katie were eventually back on speaking terms, if only just. Emily and Naomi had also come to an unspoken arrangement. While Emily still spent most of her time with the blonde the boundaries of their friendship had shifted. They didn't speak of what had gone on in Newcastle and they didn't talk about the night they had simply lain in bed holding each other for one last time. If Emily stayed over she would sleep in the spare room and would limit herself to a few glasses of wine; no matter how much Gina tried to coax her in to drinking more.

They had all been out to a club in town the night before, and Emily had sat with Pandora and Thomas as some gangly preppy looking guy had hit on Naomi. Apparently they had set up a date. "It's just a drink." Naomi tried to shrug it off, knowing Emily was watching her. A night out without Emily had seemed like a good idea at the time. She had spent the entire night as she spent most nights out, trying not to get too drunk and make a pass at the youngest Fitch. At least Katie seemed happy nothing was going on between them and she had not threatened her lately. The guy, Doug or Dave, or something, had seemed nice enough anyway. If nothing else he would take her mind off Emily for a few hours.

"Have you and Emily finished your politics project yet?" Pandora piped up. "Me and Tommo have. Took us bloody ages. Everything kept falling off the poster because we only had pritt stick. Mum wouldn't let us use super glue, she said we could sniff it and become crack addicts and-"  
"Panda." Effy and Naomi snapped together. Sometimes the girl could ramble more than JJ on a bad day. Naomi had forgotten all about the deadline for their projects. She and Emily were almost done with theirs, but they would need to work on it for another hour or two before it could be handed in.  
"Think Kieran would let me off with it?" Naomi quizzed as she toyed with the chips on her plate.  
"Isn't that nepotism?" Emily pointed out with a smirk. "I'll come back with you this afternoon and we can finish it before your big date."

"Great." Naomi forced herself to smile despite the apprehension she felt about getting ready for a date with Emily around. She hadn't told the other girl about her plans to meet the guy from the club as she hadn't wanted to rub her face in it. She had hurt Emily quite enough in the three months she had been in Bristol. She caught Katie glaring at her and had to bite her tongue. She was sick of the eldest twin watching her like a hawk; waiting for any sign she had gone back on her word to end things with Emily. There had been times when Naomi's resolve had almost slipped, when they were curled up under a blanket on the sofa during move nights, or the rare times Emily managed to get her to dance in a club, their bodies pressed close together. It was getting harder and harder to spend time with the other girl and she was not looking forward to an afternoon study session with her.

To make matters worse the house was empty when they got back. Gina had gone off shopping and Kieran was still marking coursework at the college. Naomi and Emily had rarely been alone together in the last few weeks. Naomi had always been careful to make sure Gina was around when Emily was over and at least one of the gang was with them if they went out. Naomi led her upstairs, realising her mistake too late as Emily closed the bedroom door behind them. The last place Naomi wanted to be was alone in a bedroom with Emily Fitch. It was like locking an alcoholic in a brewery. She gathered everything they had for their project and sat down with it on the floor at the foot of her bed. Emily joined her, tucking her legs under her as she sat down. She looked through the papers for a while before finally speaking. "I could finish this myself if you wanted? Give you time to get ready for your date?" Naomi bristled as she checked the clock by her bed.

"Are you saying I need four hours to get ready?"  
"No." Emily scoffed. "You look great." Both girls fell silent at the implications of Emily's words. The silence became a thick, heavy blanket enveloping them and drawing out the awkwardness.  
"We'll both work on it." Naomi finally broke the uneasy silence and began shuffling papers, unable to look up at the other girl.

They both worked on the project, managing to assemble a half decent poster before Naomi had to start getting ready. She left Emily playing with glitter pens and 'jazzing' the poster up while she jumped in the shower. She closed her eyes as the memory of Emily's hands on her body washed over her. Having Emily so close without being able to actually have the other girl was killing her. She lingered in the shower for as long as she could before finally turning off the water and wrapping a large fluffy towel around herself. She padded back in to her room and tried to ignore the sly glances Emily was casting her way as she rifled through her wardrobe. "Jesus, I've got nothing to wear." She sighed as she pulled out various items of clothing and tossed them on to her bed. Emily rolled her eyes and got to her feet to help her pick something. As she walked past her to reach the wardrobe her hand brushed against Naomi's bare arm, sending shivers through the other girl. Naomi didn't hear a word Emily was saying as she focused on trying to keep her breathing steady.

"Naomi? I said this looks good on you." Emily held up a red tartan dress with the corset bodice. Naomi took it from her with a mumbled 'thanks' and went back in to the bathroom to change. The dress hugged her curves and emphasised her slim waist. After checking her reflection in the mirror she went back in to her room to do her hair and makeup. Emily had gone downstairs when she'd heard Gina walking through the door and Naomi had dried and curled her hair by the time she came back upstairs. She sat applying her eyeliner and caught Emily staring at her chest.

"My eyes are up here perv." A small smile played on her lips. She knew she was playing a dangerous game flirting with the other girl, but the words slipped out before she could stop herself. Emily took them as a challenge and shot her a smirk back.  
"I know." She answered cockily, chancing another glance at the blonde's chest. "You look…nice."  
"Nice?" Naomi frowned at Emily's comment. "I look nice? Thanks Ems." She rolled her eyes, only half playing. She had expected a little more than 'nice'. She went to walk out of the door, but Emily stood in her way.  
"You look stunning." Naomi was wearing her heels and Emily had to stand on her tip toes to reach her lips. The kiss was brief and chaste. Emily pulled away as quickly as she started, leaving Naomi staring at her wide eyed. "Enjoy your night." The smaller girl turned on her heels and left the room first. Naomi took a deep breath before following her out.

"You look lovely darling." Gina beamed as the two girls walked down the stairs. "You could have dressed up too Naomi."  
"Haha." Naomi rolled her eyes as she pulled her jacket on.  
"Are you leaving Emily?" The older blonde asked innocently as Emily put her own jacket on. "Kieran's out tonight and I have a bottle of wine that isn't going to drink itself."  
"Sorry Gina, I was going to go meet Cook-" Emily tried to make her excuses.  
"I'm a senile old woman Emily; you can't leave me to my own devices!" Gina objected with a pout. Emily gave a heavy sigh as she removed her jacket. "I'll go open the wine!"  
"Have fun." Naomi shot the other girl a sympathetic smile as she opened the door. "I'll see you later?"  
"Yeah, maybe."

Once the blonde had left Emily made her way in to the living room. Gina was already rifling through DVDs and the wine was open on the table. It was a rarity that wine got a chance to breathe around Gina. She looked up as Emily slumped on to the sofa she usually shared with Naomi. Their blanket was still draped over the back of the chair and Emily pulled it down around herself. "Don't worry love, she'll see sense. Takes a while but she usually does." Emily was not surprised the older woman had picked up on the subtle changes of their dynamic. As oblivious as Gina could seem at times and as loose as her parenting was she tended to have a good idea of exactly what was going on in her daughter's life. "She'll see what she's already got Emily, mark my words."  
"She already did." Emily sighed as Gina handed her over a glass of wine. "Katie said something to her and now it's like she's terrified to be alone with me in case Katie finds out."  
"Oh." Gina sat down, a very telling look on her face.  
"You know something, don't you?"

Most adults would pretend not to know anything, or would change the conversation like Emily was a child that could be distracted. Gina was nothing like most adults and she simply answered honestly. "It's not my place to tell you love. It's up to Naomi. Or Katie." Emily had not really questioned Katie about what she had said after the confrontation at the college. After a week or so of not talking they had reluctantly began to be civil to one another and had eventually ended up back on speaking terms. The youngest Fitch waited until Gina left the room to fetch the popcorn and pulled out her phone to call Katie. She couldn't imagine what her twin had over Naomi that could be so serious. Emily cursed as it rang and rang until eventually going on to voicemail.

Katie heard her phone going off at the same time as the doorbell and had to let it ring in favour of getting the door. She wished she hadn't bothered when she opened it to find Naomi Campbell standing on her doorstep. "Ems isn't here." She snarled. She wasn't happy that the two were still so close, but she knew she had got her own way and had ended their little tryst.  
"I know. She's at my house. Can I come in?" Naomi sounded exasperated as she asked to come inside. Katie shrugged and stepped aside to let her in.  
"Mum's out." She explained as she led the blonde in to the empty living room. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I'm telling Emily." Naomi forced her voice to sound steady and confident as she answered. She had been thinking about it for weeks and Emily's kiss had been enough to make her mind up for her. She couldn't keep up the charade of being 'just friends' with the youngest Fitch anymore. If there was the slightest chance Emily wanted anything to do with her after she admitted her burdens then she would take it. She wasn't going to let Katie Fitch ruin her life any more than she already had.

"You can't tell!" Katie's eyes were wide with fear and it quickly dawned on Naomi that the other girl had been bluffing. She had spent the last month miserable because off a bluff.  
"I really like Emily. A lot. I want to be with her and the only way I can is if I'm honest with her."  
"You promised! You said you'd never tell!" Katie sounded more like a petulant four year old than someone who would soon be turning eighteen.  
"And I never told anyone!" Naomi threw back. "Four years Katie! Four fucking years of misery because of you and your mother telling anyone who would listen I was some sort of predatory sexual deviant! I could have told the truth, but I didn't! God knows why I protected you, but I did! Now I need to tell Emily the truth Katie. I'm asking for your permission ok, Please?"

"Do you love her?" Katie's question caught her off guard, but she didn't need to think about her answer. She nodded her head, feeling her eyes filling up as a lump formed in her throat. She was in love with Emily Fitch.  
"Do you love Effy?" Naomi knew the question would get her head bit off, but she asked it anyway. Surprisingly Katie did not go in to one of her usual hissy fits. She shrugged like Naomi had just asked if she thought it was going to rain. The blonde had known Katie since primary school and as loathe as she was to admit it she could read her like a book. Effy meant more to her than she was letting on.  
"You should tell her."

Katie shot her a small smile in response. "I think she already knows." Naomi managed a small laugh as she nodded in agreement.  
"Probably. She's fucking psychic or something." Naomi scoffed. She lost her smile as she watched the girl who had once been her best friend, and possibly the most important person in her world at the tender age of fourteen, began to sob. Tears rolled down he cheeks, smudging her mascara and giving her panda eyes. "Come here." She pulled the smaller girl in close for a hug and tried not to let herself cry as Katie buried her face in her shoulder. "I miss you." She finally admitted and heard Katie mumble something in response that sounded like 'me too'. The moment quickly passed and the eldest Fitch twin pulled away, wiping at her eyes.  
"You tell anyone about this and I'll kick your arse." She sniffled, though there was no real menace in her voice.  
"Like I'd want to admit to being friends with Katie fucking Fitch." Naomi shot back, a genuine smile playing on her lips. Katie looked close to crying again.  
"I wish we were still friends Naomi."  
"Me too." The blonde sighed. She had to admit there had been times when she missed having the other girl as a best friend. Having Emily around so much had served as a reminder of the friendship she had lost with her twin.

"What if Emily gets mad?" Katie asked as she escorted the blonde to the door. Her arms were wrapped protectively around herself. She seemed genuinely worried about hurting her sister's feelings. Neither girl had any idea how Emily would take what Naomi had to tell her. Naomi had to be honest with her though if she wanted any sort of relationship. Emily could make up her own mind once she knew all the facts.


	20. Chapter 20

"You're early love." Naomi had met up with Cook after leaving Katie's in order to get a little Dutch courage, but she had not stayed out long, hoping Emily would still be at her house when she got back. She was disappointed to find Gina in the living room on her own. "Date not go well?"  
"Hmm." Naomi replied without much enthusiasm as she flopped down on to the sofa. She had psyched herself up until she was ready to bear all to Emily. She pulled the still warm blanket over her and tried to focus on what her mother was watching. It appeared to be another horror film with middle aged Americans pretending to be teenagers and getting hacked to death by an axe wielding madman. The blonde was ready to call it a night and go to bed when Emily walked in to the room and dropped down on the sofa, sitting on her legs.

"Oi." Naomi couldn't help the smile that spread over her face at the sight of the other girl. The redhead shrugged as she pulled the blanket back over her.  
"I was here first." Emily stuck her tongue out as though it would add weight to her argument. Naomi rolled her eyes as she shifted so that her legs were on top of the smaller girl, rather than trapped beneath her. "What are you doing home? It's not midnight yet Cinderella."  
"Oh you know, chimneys to sweep, socks to darn." Naomi replied with a smirk. "How's your night of babysitting my senile mother been?"  
"Oi! I've been on my best behaviour!" Gina objected from the other sofa, though her words were muffled by the cushion she was hiding behind. Emily agreed, backing up the older woman. She clambered off the sofa and stretched as a large yawn escaped her lips.  
"I better go if I'm going to catch that last bus."  
"You're not staying?" Naomi sounded a little more desperate than she had intended as she stared up at the other girl with wide pleading eyes.

"I'm pretty tired." Emily sighed and her words held a double meaning. Naomi pushed the blanket aside and got to her feet, nervously biting her lip as she took Emily's hand in her own. She said goodnight to her mother and silently led a hesitant Emily upstairs. Once they reached her room Naomi let go of her hand and stood awkwardly in front of her. She had no idea how to start. Emily did it for her, slumping on to the other girl's bed she asked, "Have you been drinking?"  
"A bit." The blonde replied with a nervous laugh, wishing she had drunk more. "Cook tried to get me to drink one of Keith's cocktails, don't think my liver could have took it though."

"Cook? I thought you were out with that bloke from the club?" Emily frowned at the blonde as she sat down on the bed beside her.  
"I didn't go." Naomi answered honestly. "I went for a drink with Cook…after I'd been to see Katie."  
"Why did you go see Katie?" There was a hint of envy in the youngest twin's voice and Naomi had a sinking feeling her confession was not going to end well.  
"I can't go on like this Emily." Naomi let out a heavy sigh. "You were right. Katie warned me to stay away from you…but I can't do it-" Emily needed very little encouragement and before Naomi could finish the other girl was kissing her. The kiss was urgent and consuming and it took all of the blonde's willpower to pull away. "I need to be honest with you, and you might hate me afterwards, but I need to tell you something. I lied when I said I was straight-"  
"Really?" Emily giggled as she leant in for another kiss. Naomi pulled away, determined to get everything off her chest.  
"When me and Katie kissed at that party-"  
"Eugh." Emily sighed as she rolled on to her back and stared up at the ceiling. "What is it with you and Katie and that fucking kiss? It was one drunken kiss-"

"No." Naomi shook her head. She was beginning to lose her nerve and knew she had to get it all out as quickly as she could or she would never be able to tell Emily. "It wasn't. The night of that party we decided to have sex…we'd been together for a few months. Katie's my ex." She watched the youngest twin, waiting for some sort of reaction. When she said nothing Naomi carried on. "Some girl's mum walked in on us and Katie panicked. She told everyone I'd tried to molest her or something…and I let her. She spread rumours about me and made everyone treat me like a leper, and when she asked me to promise to keep what we had a secret I said yes. I still protected her-"

"You loved her." It wasn't a question from the smaller girl. Her voice was small and her expression was unreadable.  
"It was a long time ago. We can't even stand each other now…I just needed you to know, that whatever we have, has nothing to do with me and Katie...Emily? Please say something?"

The other girl lay on her side, quietly facing Naomi with her gaze down. As she finally looked up a small smile pulled up the corners of her mouth. "You're an idiot. You could have just told me." She scooted over to close the distance between them and wrapped her arms around the other girl. Naomi gladly held her back, resting her head on Emily's chest. Her heartbeat was soothing against her ear as the warmth of the other girl's body enveloped her.

"I was scared." Her voice was shaky. "If Katie had of told you she would have twisted it. I thought you'd hate me."  
"For going out with my twin sister four years before we'd met?" Emily shook her head. "For someone who's so smart you can be a little thick sometimes." She teased as she shifted so she could kiss the other girl. It was slow and tentative, nothing like the fevered kiss that had happened earlier.  
"It should have been you." Naomi sighed in to her mouth. "You're the one I should have been kissing at that party."

"I haven't fucked anyone else in five months." Effy was not sure what she had expected Katie to say as she opened the door and found the other girl standing there. It had certainly not been that.  
"Six." Effy replied, leaning casually against the doorframe. "You're the only person I've slept with in six months."  
"I thought-" Katie started. She had been certain Effy was still shagging Cook too.  
"You thought wrong." Effy narrowed her eyes at her.  
"I…I want to be exclusive." Katie stammered, her slight lisp was more pronounced with the stress of admitting her true feelings to the other girl. "With you." She added in case Effy took it the wrong way.

Effy's trademark smirk spread over her lips as she teased the other girl. "Are you asking me out Fitch?"  
"Do you see anyone else Stonem?" She snapped defensively. Katie was not used to being so vulnerable, especially around the other girl. Showing weakness around Effy was like dangling raw meat in front of a lion. She cocked her brow as she stepped aside to let the other girl inside.  
"Come in."


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's reading and for all the awesome reviews! So the good news is I officially started my holidays from work yesterday, but I'm going away for a few days from Sunday to see my better half (because she's silly and lives far away). I'd say there are about six or seven chapters left after this one and with a little luck I can get most of it up before I go away.

"Where are you going?" Naomi sulked as Emily slipped out of bed and rummaged around the floor for her clothes. The smaller girl smirked at the blonde's petulant expression.  
"I haven't been home in three days. I need clean clothes."  
"No you don't." Naomi objected, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl as she sat down on the bed to put her socks on. She kissed her neck, smiling as Emily gave up with only one sock on and turned to kiss her back. "You have absolutely no need for clothes." The blonde giggled as she tugged at Emily's jeans.

The smaller girl managed to pull away before Naomi could undo all of her hard work and remove the clothing it had taken her an age to find. "I promised Katie we'd do something for Jenna for mother's day."  
"Is that today?" Naomi groaned. She had yet to get Gina anything. "Are you coming back tonight?"  
"Of course." Emily reassured her as she gave her one last kiss before pulling her other sock on. The stripy blue sock on her left foot clearly didn't match the spotty yellow one on her right, but she was already running late and didn't have time to look for a matching pair. She left Naomi in bed and managed to get out of the house without bumping in to Gina. She was over half an hour late when she finally met up with her very annoyed looking twin.

"Could you try dragging your arse out of bed on time please?" Katie fumed as Emily stepped off the bus. "I do have other stuff to do today you know!"  
"Like what, Effy?" Emily teased. She knew Katie had been staying at the other girl's house for the last few days.  
"Fuck off." Katie glared, though there was a smile tugging at her lips. Emily was sure her own face held the same look as they started walking down the high street. They had not spoken much over the last few days, but when they had Emily had picked up on a change in the other girl's mood. Effy was definitely good for her. "So what do you think we should get mum?" Emily shrugged in response. She had never had to buy a mother's day gift before. "I was thinking maybe we could get a photo done; put it in a nice frame? I mean the last photo mum has of us together was from when we were in nappies."

"That's a nice idea." Emily smiled. She had not really considered Katie to be that sentimental, though considering Naomi's bombshell a few days earlier she supposed she didn't really know her twin that well. "I could cook something? I'm going back to Naomi's later, but I could stay for dinner?"  
"Sounds like a plan babes!" Katie beamed back as she dragged her in to a clothes shop. Emily wasn't sure that they sold picture frames in the first ten shops they went to, but she let Katie drag her around anyway, giving her opinion on clothes she picked up and shoes she tried on. It was the kind of thing sisters were supposed to do, grin and bear it as they were dragged around town and used to carry bags.

They eventually found a nice antique silver frame that opened up to hold two photographs. Jenna was still at work when they got back home and Emily started making dinner while Katie rummaged through the cupboard under the stairs in search of old photographs. They had taken one in town and already put it in the frame; they just needed an old photo of themselves with Jenna. Katie dumped a bag full of pictures on the kitchen table and began riffling through them. A few of Jenna and Rob caught Emily's eye. She had never seen pictures of her father so young, and only had one picture of Jenna from when she was holding Emily. "I have this picture." Emily picked up one of Jenna holding a baby who was only a few months old. She presumed it was Katie as the baby in the photo had more hair than the one in Emily's picture.

"That's you and mum." Katie glanced at the photo once before continuing her search for the perfect picture. Emily frowned and disappeared from the kitchen. When she returned she was holding the framed picture from the bottom of the box under her bed.  
"This is me and Jenna."  
Katie shook her head as she took the frame from her. "No, that's me. You had more hair. See." She slipped the photo out and turned it over to reveal _'Mummy and __Katie' _written on the back_. _Emily was stunned, in the fifteen years the picture had sat by her bed she had never thought to take it out and look at the back. She did the same with the other one, turning it over to show it was indeed Jenna and Emily. "Did dad take this when…" Katie trailed off, her eyes glued to the framed photograph of Jenna holding her. "I always blamed myself. When we thought dad had killed himself with you in the car, I thought it was all my fault…like if I hadn't been sick then maybe he would have just gone off himself."

"You were two Katie. None of this was your fault."  
"Why did he take you and not me?" Katie's voice cracked as she asked the question that had been plaguing Emily for months. "He didn't even tell you about me."  
"I don't know." Emily admitted with a sigh as she wrapped her arms around her twin. She kissed the top of her head as she tried not to start crying too. Katie's mascara was running all down her face as she sobbed in to Emily's chest. "He was sick Katie. He wasn't thinking straight. He loved you too, I know he did…Jenna will be home soon, I'll finish up in here, go get cleaned up, yeah?" Katie left to go sort her makeup out while Emily finished cooking.

By the time Jenna got in from work they had dinner on the table and Katie had finally chosen the last photo for the frame. It was of Jenna holding the twins on their first birthday. They wore matching dresses and huge smiles. "Oh, hello girls." She smiled as she found both of her daughters were home. "Something smells nice."  
"Ems and I made dinner!" Katie supplied helpfully, even though all she had done to help was boil some pasta. Emily let it slide and took Jenna's coat as Katie led her in to the dining room. They handed over their present and Jenna was almost crying as she opened the frame and found the photos.

Emily waited until dinner was over to fetch something else she wanted to give to Jenna. Once Katie was out of the room she handed the older woman a leather bound notebook. Its cover was scratched and faded and its pages were frayed. "It's my journal." Emily answered Jenna's questioning look. "When I was ten we were making mother's day cards at school, I didn't have a mother to make one for, so my teacher said I should write you a letter. I started writing this instead. It's all the stuff I wanted to say to you…I want you to read it." Jenna cradled the diary to her chest as though it were a child. There was a lot Emily had to say to the other woman and when she had found the journal at the bottom of the box with the photograph of Jenna and Katie she had realised it would be the best way to show Jenna who she was. She was not one of those people who religiously chronicled their lives, but she had used the diary off and on to record important events in her life.

"Thank you." Jenna's eyes were tearing up as she leafed through the pages. She went to pull Emily in for a hug, but the younger girl pulled away. Jenna tried to hide her disappointment. Emily was still uncomfortable with being intimate with the woman she had only known for three months, regardless of how they were related.  
"I'm staying out again tonight…" Emily surprised them both by leaning forward to give the other woman a brief hug. "Love you, mum."

Emily made a hasty exit from the house before her mother could start crying. Katie left not long after, leaving Jenna alone with Emily's journal. She poured herself a glass of red wine and curled up on the sofa as she began reading. It started with a ten year old Emily pouring her heart out about not having a mum like everyone else. She had written in the journal every day for a week when she'd first started, but the novelty had quickly worn off and the entries became more infrequent. One in particular caught Jenna's eye as she was halfway through.

'_I wish you were here mum. I can't talk to dad about this stuff and I can't tell Sharon either. Dad usually sends me next door to talk to her about 'girl stuff' but I can't tell her about this. I like Lucy. Really really like her. She's cool and gorgeous and funny and I can't exactly tell Sharon I fancy her daughter. I keep thinking about what you'd say if you were still here. A guy from school came out to his parents and his mum freaked. Now he has to go to church three times a week. What would you say if I told you? I think Dad would be ok. He doesn't really talk about you, one time he said you would be proud of me and I tried to ask him what you were like. He got all quiet and moody. It wouldn't be so bad if he just talked about you sometimes.' _

Jenna had guessed her youngest daughter was gay. It was not something she had been comfortable bringing up, though she presumed there was a reason she was staying at that Campbell girl's so much. She was not oblivious when it came to her daughters. When one of the other mother's had told her she'd caught Katie and her best friend Naomi kissing she had not wanted to hear it. She had told her daughter in no uncertain terms that it was all the other girl's fault; she had taken advantage and led her astray. She had said it so much that she had even convinced Katie of it.

She still wasn't keen on Naomi, but she was grateful to have both of her daughters alive and well. The last thing she wanted was to alienate her youngest child even further. She made a mental note to invite Naomi over for dinner one night. Emily had made an attempt to let her mother get to know her, the least Jenna could do was make the effort back. Maybe she'd invite Effy over too, keep both of her girls happy.


	22. Chapter 22

"I can't believe you talked me in to this." Naomi dragged her feet as they neared Emily's house. It had taken Emily two weeks to convince her to come round to her house. The blonde looked warily up the drive, as though some hideous monster was lurking inside the silent house. "Jenna hates me…she's probably trying to bunk me off." Emily giggled as the other girl babbled on, getting more and more stressed the closer they got to the door. She stopped her in her tracks as she pulled her in for a kiss. It silenced her instantly.  
"I'll test all your food, wait ten minutes and if I'm still breathing it's safe."  
"Or…" Naomi pulled her close for another kiss, "neither of us could eat it and everybody lives?"

"If I die you're coming with me Campbell." Effy appeared behind them, seemingly as excited as Naomi to be having dinner with Jenna. "Hmph…you must love her if she talked you in to this." Effy smirked as Naomi shot her a glare. The blonde clung tightly to her girlfriend's hand, trying to fight her instincts to flee.  
"And Katie talked you in to this how?" Emily teased back as she took her hand back to open the front door.  
"Sexual favours." The taller girl replied in her usual blunt manner and Emily couldn't tell whether it was a joke or not. She made a face at the thought of her twin having sex. It was not something she wanted to think about.  
"Could I have some of those?" Naomi grinned, her words intended for Emily. Effy shrugged as she followed Emily inside.  
"Ask Katie."

"Ask me what?" Katie appeared at the top of the stairs, demanding to know why her name was being used.  
"Nothing." Emily huffed, not impressed with Effy's sense of humour. "Come on." She led Naomi up the stairs, brushing past a frowning Katie to get to her room.  
"Enjoy." Effy's lips twisted in to a smirk as the pair disappeared in to Emily's room. The second Emily's door closed her face fell. "Please don't make me do this. It's really not me."  
"Family dinners?"

"Families." Effy replied honestly. She was still hovering by the door as Katie descended the stairs. Her resolve began to falter as the oldest twin closed in on her. The smaller girl went up on her toes to drape her arms around Effy's neck, her lips full and pouting as she shot a look that never failed to work on her lover. "Fine." She huffed as Katie hovered teasingly close to her lips with the promise of a kiss.

It was Effy's turn to tease as she pulled away from the kiss Katie tried to deliver. The smaller girl's pout grew as she frowned at the injustice of being denied a kiss. "If we're going to do this then we're doing this properly." Her words sounded ominous.  
"We might have to go upstairs then; mum will be in any minute." Katie made a joke of it as she rubbed her body suggestively against the other girl. "No." Effy shook her head slightly. "Not that. Us. This exclusive thing…If I've got to play happy families and come for dinners, then you've got to stop flirting with every fucking loser with something between his legs-"

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" Katie giggled as she pulled away from the other girl and backed up to the stairs. Effy knew her game and took a step forward with a smirk on her face. "You want me Stonem? Come get me." Katie's giggle erupted in to a fit of laughter as she launched up the stairs, closely followed by Effy.

Emily shuddered as she heard giggling before Katie's door slammed shut. "I don't want to know what they're doing."  
"Knowing Effy she's probably climbing down the drain pipe as we speak…and that's not innuendo." The blonde shot back, earning a scowl from her girlfriend. "We should follow her lead."  
"She's not that bad." Emily objected as she climbed on to her bed to lie beside the other girl. Naomi lay on her back with her hands covering her face.  
"Why do I let you talk me in to these things?" She huffed again, not remotely looking forward to having dinner with Jenna Fitch. There was an endless list of things she would rather be doing, including sawing of her own arm. Emily smirked as she began kissing the blonde's neck to calm her down.

"Because you love me." Emily had not really been thinking when the words slipped out; she had meant it as a sort of tease, inferring she had the blonde wrapped around her little finger. She waited with baited breath as Naomi fell still and silent. "I meant-" She tried to backtrack, but the blonde cut her off with a kiss.  
"I do." She sighed against Emily's lips. "I think I've been in love with you since the first night I met you." An enormous grin spread over Emily's lips in response to the other girl's words.  
"I love you too."  
"Enough to let me out of dinner?" Naomi tried with a hopeful smile.

Her hopes were dashed as they heard the front door open and Jenna calling up to them. They filed out of the bedroom and bumped in to Katie and Effy on the landing. Effy was buttoning up her jeans. "You're like fucking rabbits." Effy smirked at Naomi's hissed whisper. Katie scowled at her as she finished buttoning her blouse. She headed down the stairs first, her head held high. Naomi stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "You're top's inside out." The other two had failed to notice the seams on the outside of Katie's blouse.

"Fuck." She quickly pulled it over her head and turned it in so that it was the right way, standing on the staircase with only a leopard print bra covering her top half. She had just managed to pull her top back on as Jenna appeared at the bottom of the stairs.  
"Dinner's ready girls. I got some pizzas in." The four teenagers trudged down the stairs and followed Jenna in to the dining room. For all dinner was something as informal as pizza Jenna had still set the table. The pizzas had been removed from their boxes and put on to serving plates and there were even napkins on the table. The girls all took their seats and settled down for the quietest meal of their life. They sat in awkward silence until Jenna finally spoke up.

"So, Naomi, what are you studying at college?" It was a very parent like question, but it seemed to break the silence as Naomi tried not to choke on her pizza before answering. Effy looked relieved the inquisition had not started on her. Under the table Emily held Naomi's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Jenna spent most of the evening coaxing Naomi in to talking to her. After dinner she caught Naomi at the bottom of the stairs as she came down from the bathroom. The blonde felt her heart jump in to her throat as the older woman blocked her way by putting her hand on the banister. She waited for the threat or lecture that was surely coming. She had told Emily it was a bad idea to come over.

"I'm sorry." Jenna's words almost floored her. She had definitely not been expecting an apology to come out of the other woman's lips. "When I found about you and Katie, well I panicked. She was my little girl. I didn't want her throwing her life away on some childish crush…" Naomi opened her mouth to object, but Jenna raised her hand to silence her before continuing. "Katie was all I had left in the world. I don't expect you to understand Naomi, what it's like to lose a husband and a child. It makes you hold on to what you have left all the more tightly. I told Katie to blame you. My baby girl told me she loved you and I told her she was being silly. Silly." Jenna let out a bitter laugh. "I had no right to interfere and I am sorry. But Emily is my little girl too. And I will do anything to hold on to my family. If you hurt her I will hunt you down and make you _wish_ you were dead. Do I make myself clear?" Jenna's words were ringing in the younger girl's ears. Her breath was coming in short rasps and her heart was pounding in her chest. She couldn't think straight and could only nod in response as she brushed past the woman who was both apologising and threatening her at the same time. She walked straight out of the door.

"What the fuck?" Katie was standing at the end of the drive, hidden behind the hedge as she smoked her cigarette. "Does Ems know you're going?" Naomi ignored her and carried on walking, storming down the street. She heard Katie chasing after her, her heels clicking against the pavement. "Where the fuck are you going? What's your damage Campbell?"

"You!" Naomi stopped abruptly and turned to face the smaller girl. There were tears streaming down her cheeks. "You and your fucking mother are!" She felt the anger inside of her bubbling up and threatening to erupt as Katie's eyes widened like she was incapable of doing wrong. Like her whole family hadn't fucked Naomi's life up.  
"What are you-"  
"She told me Katie!" The severity of Naomi's words weighed down on Katie and managed to silence her. She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "She told me you loved me." Naomi added in a defeated sigh.

"I did." Katie's honesty surprised her. She had expected her to lie and protest, to make some snide comment and laugh in her face. "I did love you. And it hurt, seeing you with Emily. It just works with you two doesn't it? I mean me and you; it wasn't really going anywhere, but you and Ems… I don't feel that way about you anymore, I don't. It's just, like, she makes you happier than I ever could, and it fucking hurts." Naomi could not believe the absurdity of their situation, they were stood in the middle of the street crying their eyes out while Katie Fitch confessed she had once loved her.

"You have Effy." Naomi tried, not really sure how she was supposed to comfort a girl she had hated for years. Their past was just that. It had passed. It had happened and it was gone and nothing either of them could say would change the way their lives had panned out. Katie sniffed as she wiped at her eyes, trying to compose herself.  
"I know. And I'm happy for Emily. You might be a bitch, but you care about my sister as much as I do-"  
"Well I have known her about as long." Naomi quipped, trying to lighten the mood. It worked as Katie let out a small laugh. She surprised Naomi again by pulling her in for a hug. She felt Katie clinging to her tightly and she knew it would be the last time it happened. It was as though their confrontation had laid their past to rest.

"I loved you too. Once." Naomi admitted in little more than a whisper. She was putting an end to whatever it was they had had once and for all. "It's not that Emily's better than you, she's just different."

Katie pulled away and wiped her eyes again, this time managing to stop her tears all together. She gave a determined nod before running her hands through her hair and turning back to the house. "You coming back in or what?" Naomi hesitated as she looked back at the Fitch house. She knew Emily would be waiting for her inside. Her face would light up as Naomi walked in to the room. It always did. Even if she had only been gone for a few minutes, Emily always looked happy to see her; always made her feel wanted. She would face the wrath of Jenna Fitch any day to feel wanted by Emily. She fell in step with the other girl as they took the short walk back to the house.

"So, you think Jenna's had a little talk with Effy yet?" Naomi smirked as she made quote marks in the air on 'talk'. No doubt Effy was getting a similar lecture on how Jenna Fitch would hunt her down if she hurt one of her babies. Katie's eyes widened in fear at her remarks and she started shoving her towards the door.  
"Move Campbell!"


	23. Chapter 23

"Why are none of you pussies coming out tonight?" Cook grumbled as he spun around on the computer chair he was sitting on. Most of the gang had gathered in the library, and all of them had turned down his offer of a night out down Keith's pub.  
"We're in the middle of exams Cook." Naomi scowled as she struggled to read her own notes on what she needed to revise for her next politics module. She smiled as Emily helpfully translated a few words for her.

"You've gone soft Campbell. Red's got you all domestic and shit. You're all fucking coupley, where does that leave the Cookie monster, eh?" He huffed; well aware Naomi wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to him. She and Emily were sharing an oversized bean bag on the floor and Naomi had lost interest in her notes in favour of making doe eyes at Emily. He was surrounded by couples. Panda and Thomas were sat at the table helping each other revise, while Effy and Katie had disappeared in to the book stacks fifteen minutes ago and suspicious noises were coming from the horticultural section.  
"JJ and Freddie are available…take your pick." Emily teased, getting a worried glare from JJ in return.  
"Aww, come on Ems, you know I can't choose between my boys." Cook shot JJ a wink, sending the other boy in to a nervous ramble about how he wasn't gay, thought there was nothing wrong with being gay, and that he had no interest in coupling up with Cook. It took a good ten minutes to calm him down again.

"Fuck it; I can't get any work done in here." Naomi sighed as she collected her things and pulled Emily to her feet. "Let's go back to mine."  
"You'll get even less revision done there." Emily purred in her ear so that Cook would not overhear. A grin spread over Naomi's lips as she took hold of the smaller girl's hand.  
"Yeah, but it'll still be a _productive _afternoon."  
"Room for a little one girls?" Cook waggled his hips suggestively at them as they walked out.

"I had to get out of there." Naomi sighed as they crossed the car park and headed towards the bus stop. "I'm so not ready for that exam tomorrow, and Cook banging on about going out wasn't helping."  
"You'll do great. Politics is your thing baby…and after that there's just Sociology, which anyone can pass. And in between is my birthday." Emily beamed. She was looking forward to finally turning eighteen on Friday. Katie had spent weeks planning a huge night out for their joint eighteenth and her enthusiasm was catching.

"It's easy for you to say! You have an unconditional offer! I don't!" Naomi snapped, her tone was quite short and bitchy. She had been stressed since the start of exams and Emily let the comment slide. She wished Naomi had of too. "An unconditional at Newcastle. Two hundred miles away." It had occurred to Emily that she was supposed to be going home in less than a fortnight's time. She had pushed it to the back of her mind, choosing not to think about it. It seemed Naomi had done an even better job of repressing Emily's impending departure all together. "Fuck, you're leaving in like ten days."

"I could stay a few more weeks?" Emily suggested, hoping to get Naomi back in to a better mood. Apparently she had said the wrong thing, as once again the blonde was going off on one.  
"A few weeks? Great, then what? What happens to us Ems?" Emily had taken it for granted that they would have some sort of long distance thing. After all the distance was not that far.  
"We can make it work, it's not that far." She tried to take Naomi's hand, but the blonde pulled away and wrapped her arms protectively around herself as though she was fighting off the cold.

"I'm going to Goldsmiths Emily. It's like three hundred miles away from Newcastle…and it's not like your last long distance relationship worked out too well is it?" Emily felt her own mood turning sour. Maybe Naomi had been giving this some thought after all.  
"Anna cheated on me. You would never do that, I trust you-"  
"Girls were all over you up there Emily. They are down here..."  
"You don't trust me?" Emily's eyes widened as the other girl's words sunk in. It felt like she was sinking a knife in to her chest. "Thanks a lot Naomi."  
"Wait." Naomi pulled her back as she tried to walk off. "I didn't mean it like that Ems. I trust you, I do! I just…I'm scared. I'm scared that you're going to go back home and forget all about me…"

"How could you think that?" Emily scorned, though she had wrapped her arms around the other girl and her tone was softer as she added. "I could never ever forget a single thing about you. We'll make this work. I promise."

***

"Everything ok love?" Gina quizzed as she walked in to the kitchen and found Emily sitting at the table. Naomi was fast asleep upstairs after crashing out amongst her politics notes. She had become more and more stressed as the afternoon turned in to the evening and she still felt like she was remembering nothing. Emily had cleared the papers and books from the bed and tucked her in before going downstairs to get a glass of water.  
"Yeah, fine." She managed a weak smile as her girlfriend's mother took a seat opposite her. Concern was written all over her face.  
"Well it is three in the morning dear and you were sitting in the dark eating what appears to be bread coated in sugar." Gina helped herself to a slice of bread from her plate.

"Sugar bread." Emily supplied helpfully as Gina made a face and promptly returned the stolen slice. "My dad used to make it for me all the time."  
"Emily love, are you sure everything's ok?" She pushed, knowing how to read stroppy teenage girls all too well.  
"No." The younger girl finally admitted with a sigh as she tore at her sugar bread. "I'm leaving in two weeks. I've been happy here…and well, I guess I just didn't think about how things are going to change. We can make it work; I know we can, but Naomi…"

Gina placed her hand over Emily's on the table and laced their fingers together. "I know my daughter Emily. And I know she's terrified of losing the people she loves. She's always been like that, ever since her father left…useless bastard he was."  
"He was good for something." Emily offered with a smile. Gina started smirking until she realised she was talking about Naomi, not how the blonde was conceived.  
"That girl's the best thing I've ever accomplished with my life." Gina admitted with a sigh. She had that misty eyed look that parents got when they realised their children were finally adults themselves and would soon be leaving them to face the big bad world alone. "If she thinks she's going to lose you she'll start pushing you away first…I should know, she's been doing it to me for long enough."

"So what should I do?" Emily choked out, her eyes filling up at the thought of losing Naomi from her life. Her home and her life were up north in Newcastle, but part of her did not feel like she belonged there anymore. Part of her wanted to stay in Bristol with Naomi; but even then things wouldn't be that simple. Naomi was moving away too. Come September she would be London, yet she was acting like Emily was running away from her. Gina gave her hand a squeeze as she stood up.  
"Don't let her. You fight Emily. If you want her you fight for her."

A/N: I've got another four or so chapters left and I'm going to try my best to get another one or two posted before Sunday as after that I won't be able to update until I get back Friday.


	24. Chapter 24

"Katie! Hurry your arse up!" Emily banged on the bathroom door for the umpteenth time. Katie had locked herself in there from the second they got back from college. "I need to use the bathroom at some point today too you know!"  
"Relax babes." Katie finally opened the door and emerged wrapped in a towel. "We've got plenty of time." They had less than an hour before they were supposed to be going over to Effy's house. Naomi had already text her to say she was there. Their birthday celebrations were starting at Effy's before they moved on to town. Waking up that morning Emily had felt no different. Eighteen was supposed to be some giant milestone, yet she felt the same as she always did after a night out with Cook. Tired and hungover. She and Naomi had finally relented and agreed to go out for a quiet drink with Cook and the boys. The quiet drink had resulted in Emily rolling in to the house a few hours before the start of college. It had been a rough day and she still didn't feel entirely sober.

The shower managed to refresh her a little and wake her up, but the glass of vodka and coke Katie had left by her bed soon had her feeling tipsy again. She was excited about celebrating her birthday, she finally didn't have to worry about making sure her neckline was low enough to get her served, but the milestone was also like a noose around her neck. It was Friday night and in seven days she would be standing at the coach station waiting to go home. Waiting to leave Naomi and Katie and everyone else she had come to care about behind. She would even miss Cook, despite all of his flaws. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, with the aid of yet more vodka, she started to get ready, knowing Katie would be barging in to her room to feed her more alcohol the second she was finished getting ready herself.

Katie would be wearing a form fitting black dress with her hair curled, so Emily straightened her own hair and chose a short white strapless dress with a black satin belt around the waist. They had gone shopping with Jenna a few days earlier to buy something to wear for their big night out and Jenna had almost burst in to tears when she saw the two of them together in the shop. She looked close to crying as she took a group photo of the three of them in the living room as well as endless pictures of the girls by themselves. "It makes me so proud to see the two of you standing there together. Two young ladies." She beamed as Katie finally persuaded her to stop taking photos so they could get to Effy's on time. Emily had not quite escaped as Katie left the room and Jenna took her hand. "This is only the third birthday I've got to celebrate with you love…I don't want it to be the last. I'm going to miss you when you go back next week." Jenna's tears finally spilled out as Emily wrapped her arms around her for what was possible the first proper hug she had given her in over fifteen years.  
"I'll come visit." She promised, and though the point of visiting would mostly be to see Naomi she would miss the older woman too. "I love you mum."  
"I love you too dear. Stay safe tonight, don't drink too much."

Jenna's words were lost on her daughters as the second they walked in to Effy's two different shots were shoved in to their hands and followed by a luminous green cocktail. The whole gang had assembled at Effy's house and erupted in to a round of '_Happy Birthday'_ as soon as they saw the twins. Once the party was in full swing Naomi managed to pull Emily aside and led her in to the garden. The sun was still low in the sky, keeping the evening air mild as they stood outside. Naomi presented Emily with a small box. Once the wrapping paper was off it was clear it was a jewellery box of some kind. With a large dopey grin on her face she opened it, gasping as she caught sight of what was inside. Naomi picked the silver heart shaped pendant and fastened it around the smaller girl's neck. She turned it over to reveal the first letter of theirs names engraved on the back. "It's beautiful! Just like you." She pressed her lips to Naomi's, giving the blonde a well deserved kiss. If she noticed Naomi's hesitation she didn't say anything about it. "Let's go back in so I can show this off." Emily smiled as she bounced back in to the room, the pendant hanging proudly around her neck. Naomi quietly followed her inside.

The more Naomi drank the quieter she became. Emily didn't seem to notice he strange behaviour and by the time they got out to the club she was too far gone to pick up anything being wrong. After they walked past the bouncers, Katie and Emily proudly flashing their ID and toting the 'Eighteen today!' foil banners Panda had forced on them, Emily gave Naomi and long and fumbling kiss before disappearing with Cook to the bar, leaving Naomi sat at the table with Panda and Thomas; who like most teenage couples were so lost in each other they didn't pay any attention to the sulking blonde.

"Fucking hell Campbell, cheer up. It's a party yeah?" Katie snapped as she flung herself down on the seat beside the blonde in the booth they had managed to acquire. Effy had left her to get them more drinks and she had decided not to dance by herself when guys kept coming over and trying to grope her. She had caught Effy's steely glare from the bar and had decided to sit down before the other girl attempted to maul one of men trying it on. "What's wrong with your face anyway? You've been a miserable cow all night!"  
"Nothing." Naomi sulked, helping herself to whoever's drink had been left on the table.  
"Fucking cheer up then!" Katie demanded. Taking matters in to her own hands she took a tight hold of the blonde's wrist and dragged her over to the dance floor. Naomi tried to protest and pull her arm away but Katie Fitch was surprisingly strong for a girl her size and managed to keep her amongst the crowds of people pulsating to the music.

She let out a laugh as Katie began to do what the eldest twin no doubt considered 'sexy' dancing, grinding against Naomi as she stood still in the middle of the floor. "I'm not a fucking pole for you to dance on!" Naomi shouted to be heard above the music. Katie shrugged as she carried on bumping and grinding against her.  
"You move about as much as one!" She shot back with a smirk, refusing to stop until Naomi started dancing with her. The blonde finally relented and started dancing, her mood quickly turning she even managed a smile.

From over at the bar Emily could see Naomi and her twin dancing together. Naomi looked happier than she had all day and it caused a pang of jealousy in the pit of Emily's stomach. "Don't think it." She jumped as Effy's voice purred in her ear.  
"What?" She snapped, not following the conversation Effy apparently thought they were having. "Don't think what?" Effy nodded to the two girls, as though alone would answer Emily's question.  
"Naomi loves you. Katie does too. You have nothing to worry about!" Her words were accompanied by an unspoken _'And Katie loves me too,' _but Emily guessed they had not come that far in their relationship yet, at least not whilst sober. She could not imagine who would say it first. If one said it and the other didn't return it then the power in their pairing would shift, and neither girl was the type to let anyone else have one up on them.

"It's just a bit weird." Emily objected as she watched the two girls dancing closely together. "I mean the girl I love used to be seeing my twin sister."  
"It's in the past Ems." Effy replied with crystal clarity. She felt no threat from the blonde who was spinning her girlfriend around. Whatever had happened between Katie and Naomi was well and truly over.  
"I think Naomi's going end it with me." Emily finally spoke out loud the thoughts that had been plaguing her for a week. Ever since she had spoken to Gina she had started picking up on the little ways Naomi was pushing her away. She had been quiet and moody, distancing herself from Emily more and more each day. She felt Effy's arm draped over her shoulder as the taller girl gave her a quick hug.

Her voice was certain as it spoke in to her ear. "She loves you Emily. If she's running away then it's not from _you._" It sounded like Effy knew something about what was going on in Naomi's head. The youngest Fitch was willing to bet money that Naomi had confided in Effy before everyone had arrived for the party. She tried to press for details, but Effy just shrugged, insisting the blonde had not spoken to her.

Everyone kept saying it wasn't about Emily, it was about Naomi and her abandonment issues, but that didn't really comfort Emily much. Either way it would still be the redhead who would be left broken hearted if Naomi did run from what they had. Emily was certain they could make things between them work over any distance, she just needed to find a way to show Naomi that. University would only last three or four years, and they would have the holidays together as well as as many visits as Emily could manage while still keeping up with her course. In a few years they would be back together for good and if anything the distance would make them stronger. Emily was certain of it.

As she toyed with the pendant around her neck she caught the blonde looking over at her and flashed her a confident smile, trying to convey they would be ok if they just toughed it out. The blonde managed a weak smile back, but even from across the crowded club Emily could read the heartache in her eyes. Naomi was struggling to come to a decision on their future. As Effy forced yet more shots in to her hands Emily let out a silent prayer that, when it finally came, Naomi's decision would be the right one.

A/N: So I'm getting on a plane in like 12 hours…I'd say there are three chapters left of this fic and I'm hoping to get another written and posted tonight, time permitting. As much as I would love to stay up all night writing, if I miss my plane my girlfriend will seriously kill me! If I don't get another update out tonight then the next one should be late Thursday/Early Friday. Thanks again to everyone who's reading and reviewing.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Apologies for the lack of updates this last week. I've been away visiting my better half and, as awesome as it was, having to come back home put me in a bit of a grumpy mood and I haven't gotten much writing done. There are two chapters left to go, or possibly one long one depending on how it flows.

The end started with an argument over a post-it-note. It was ludicrous that Naomi had made such a big thing about a missing post-it-note from her revision notes, turning it in to the coming apocalypse instead of the trivial thing it was; but then she'd been looking for an excuse and with their last exam only a day away it seemed she had gotten desperate. "I just don't like you moving my stuff!" Naomi shouted, her anger only increasing as Emily remained silent, refusing to engage. "I can't find a fucking thing in here!" She kicked at the clothes and books that littered her floor. All of which were hers.

"I'll be out of your hair soon enough." Emily finally stopped holding her breath and let out a deep sigh. It was a cheap shot and she knew it, but rather than rile the other girl it seemed to deflate her. She slumped on to the bed and held her face in her hands.  
"We can't do this."

"You're not even trying." Emily mumbled back and it was true. The blonde had been slowly giving up on them for weeks. "There's no reason we can't make this work Naomi. It's not like we're going to be living in different countries!"  
"Maybe we could make it work, for a while." Naomi sighed, pulling away as Emily tried to wrap her arms around her. "What's the point though? It won't last. So why bother?" Her defeated tone crushed Emily more than her anger ever could. At least anger implied she still cared.

"How can you say that?" Emily's voice was strained and cracked as she got to her feet. She felt her own anger welling up inside as Naomi dismissed what they had so easily. "You said you loved me, yet you're just giving up! Do I mean that little to you Naomi? Well do I?" Emily was aware she was shouting but she didn't care. She was sick of being the one that fought for them while the blonde sulked and gave up at the first sign of trouble. Naomi sat on the bed staring up at her with wide teary eyes. She was calm; _too _calm. "I don't love you." Her words were cold and calculated, practically a slap in the face.

"Don't." Emily snarled, her fists balling at her sides. "Don't you dare lie to me Naomi!" She could take the blonde sulking and snapping at her, but she couldn't take her lying about something like that. "I know you love me. You can't fake something like that!" The tears finally spilled down Naomi's cheeks as she looked away, chewing her lower lip with anxiety. She seemed to wrestle with her words before finally choking them out.  
"I'm still in love with Katie."

It was a lie and they both knew it. Naomi's words were intended to hurt her, to push her away for good. They had the desired effect as Emily stormed out of the room. There were tears streaming down her cheeks, blinding her as she ran down the stairs. She bumped in to Gina at the bottom, who had undoubtedly been listening in on their argument. She didn't try to hide the fact. "Emily, don't let her do this! She's scared love; she doesn't mean any of it-"  
"I don't care!" Emily spat as she used the back of her sleeve to wipe her eyes. "I'm done! Ok? I'm not fighting her anymore! She's got what she wanted!"

"You're a stupid bitch you know that?" Katie snapped at her younger twin as she struggled to keep up with her in her heels. Their last exam had just finished and Emily was in a rush to get out of the exam hall. Naomi on the other hand was slowly packing away her things with her head down low.  
"Yeah well, must be genetic." Emily replied rather harshly. She pulled open her locker door and shoved the contents of the locker in to her bag. She was beginning to regret telling her sister what had happened between her and Naomi the night before. She hadn't intended on it, but the second she saw Katie everything had just spilled out.

"She was lying dickhead! You can't just leave!" Katie had lectured her all night and Emily was sick of hearing it.  
"She made her choice Katie. I'm making mine." She slammed the door shut hard enough to rattle the whole row of metal lockers. "Mum's taking me to the train station in half an hour."  
"You could stay." There was a pleading tone to Katie's voice. "Just for a few more weeks? I've just got you back Ems…I don't want to lose you again. Not yet."

Emily sighed as Katie wrapped her arms around her in a crushingly tight hug. "It's not for good. I'll come visit. I promise." She managed to pry her sibling off of her after promising to keep in touch. Emily had been hoping to avoid a big fuss about her leaving, but most of the others had sat the same exam and were waiting outside the cottage for her; except Naomi of course.

Panda was worse than Katie as she bubbled and held Emily in an embrace that was practically a headlock. Effy gave her a mere nod of her head while Thomas managed to pull Panda away. Cook stood with his hands shoved in to his pockets, trying to pretend he wasn't bothered by Emily's impending departure. "You could have at least come for one last pint!" He sulked, trying to shy away as Emily reached out to hug him. She held him tightly and whispered in to his ear so that the others would not overhear her.  
"Take care of her Cook."  
"Course man, you don't need to ask Emilio. You take care of yourself, yeah?"

Emily managed to nod just as Jenna pulled up in the car. The moment between her and Cook had passed as quickly as it had come and he forced a leering grin on to his face. "Don't be a stranger girlie!" He called after her as she climbed in to the car. She flipped him off with a smile.  
"How'd the exam go girls?" Jenna asked as the two girls settled in to the car and fastened their seatbelts. Katie had let Emily sit upfront for a change.  
"Great." Emily replied, quietly confident she would pass her A-levels with flying colours. Katie gave a noncommittal shrug of her shoulders, they had barely driven out of the college grounds and she was already stuck to her mobile texting Effy.

"Emily I double checked your room; everything's packed and ready for the movers in the morning. Your tickets are in the glove box and I've made you a packed lunch." Jenna fussed as they grew closer to the bus station. She stopped at a red light and looked nervously over at her youngest daughter. She seemed preoccupied as she stared out at the people crossing the road, her hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. "It's green." Emily pointed out after a few moments as car horns started blaring behind them.

"You don't have to go." Jenna surprised her as she turned to look at her again. "I could drive you to Naomi's if you'd like? Sort things out properly before you go?" Jenna had tried to convince Emily to stay for a few more weeks, to go back up after the summer, but the youngest twin had made up her mind. From the way Katie shifted nervously in the back seat Emily could guess she had told their mother everything. Emily put her own hand on top of the older woman's hand on the gear stick and shook her head.

"No thanks mum…I'm ready to go home."


	26. Chapter 26

The second time Emily Fitch stepped off a coach in Bristol it was a hell of a lot colder and her mother was not waiting for her with an anxious smile. Instead she was greeted by Effy Stonem and her trademark smirk. She was perched on the bonnet of her car with a cigarette in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Emily hastily ran over to her to get cover from the rain. "How's tricks?" The taller girl asked as she flicked her cigarette end away before unlocking the car. Emily climbed in to the passenger seat before replying, glad to be out of the rain. It was turning out to be a particularly wet September.

"Good. I've sorted the house out, school starts next week. How are you and Katie? Other than all loved up?" Emily managed a smirk of her own as a blush spread over Effy's cheeks. All Katie had banged on about for the last three months was how happy she and Effy were. Emily had guessed it was pretty serious when Katie had phoned her up a few weeks ago and told her she had used the inheritance from their dad to buy a flat. Emily had inherited the house in Newcastle, some shares in their father's business and a small sum of money to get her through university. Katie had been left a tidy sum as well and had spent most of it on a flat; and growing her wardrobe of course.  
"Pretty good." Effy mumbled in reply and coming from her that was practically a conversation. "Katie's missed you…we all have."

Emily had a pretty good idea who Effy was talking about when she said 'we' and she chose not to take the bait, instead she changed the subject. "So who's coming to the housewarming then?" Katie had spent weeks assuring her Naomi would not be going. She had not been sure whether she was telling the truth or not, but had eventually bowed under pressure and agreed to go down to Bristol for the weekend. She knew Effy well enough to know she would not lie about whether the blonde was going or not.  
"Panda and Thomas, Cook and JJ, Freddie and Karen." Effy answered her expression and tone neutral as she left out Naomi.

Emily was grateful. She could feel her insides twisting at just the thought of seeing the blonde again. It had been a rough few months. She had cried herself to sleep and drank her problems away for the first month, but she had survived. The youngest Fitch wasn't sure she could do it a second time. She would be happy if she could get through the weekend without seeing Naomi at all. "Do you miss her?" Effy's question threw the smaller girl and she felt a lump forming in her throat and tears stinging her eyes.  
"Don't. Please Ef, just don't." An uneasy silence descended on the car as Effy concentrated on driving. Neither of them said a word until they pulled up outside a block of flats.

Katie was standing at the front door wearing her usual attire, short skirt and low cut top, with a grin on her face. She pounced on Emily the second she was out of the car, crushing her in a hug. "You came!" Even when Emily had been texting her on the way down Katie was convinced she would back out and not turn up for the party. "Come on, people are coming in an hour and I need you to make some cakes!" Emily rolled her eyes as her sister dragged her inside the flat and up the stairs. She barely had time to glance around the spare room as she dropped her bag inside the room and Katie led her straight to the kitchen.

The flat was an old building with spacious rooms, but the décor was definitely modern. The kitchen walls were a plain white, but the stainless steel benches and purple cupboards definitely gave the room more than enough colour. Katie rambled on as they spent the afternoon baking and putting the finishing touches to the dining room table. Katie had colour co-ordinated purple plates and napkins on the table and fussed over the candles in the centre, ensuring they were centred. "Fuck, Ems get the door will you?" She called as the doorbell started ringing. She was busy arranging sandwiches on a platter and Effy was in the shower. Emily did as she was asked and trudged downstairs to the front door.

"Emilio!" The second the door was opened Cook scooped her up, grinning like a child on Christmas morning. Emily laughed as he spun around and had to slap him on the shoulders to put her back down. JJ followed him in with a sheepish smile.  
"Hi Emily." He handed over a potted cactus which was supposed to be some sort of house warming present. Katie would be ecstatic. Freddie and Karen followed them in, with Karen handing over an expensive looking bottle of champagne that would definitely put a smile on Katie's face. She followed them all upstairs, cursing as the doorbell went again once she'd reached the top. She paused at the bottom as she caught a flash of blonde hair through the glass pane of the door. The bell went again and she forced her shaking hand to undo the lock.

She let out a shaky breath as the door opened and she found Panda and Thomas standing at the doorstep. "Hi Emily! Nice cactus!" Panda grinned as she stepped inside. Thomas followed her in with a polite 'hello'. He offered to take the bottle and potted plant from her but she insisted she was fine and followed them both up the stairs.

"o0o presents!" Katie beamed as Panda handed over a gift wrapped box. She sat it down on the glass coffee table in the centre of the living room. Emily took a seat on the arm of the leather chair Cook had slumped in to. She handed over the other gifts, admiring how easily Katie forced a smile at the sight of the potted plant. "It's lovely JJ. I know just the place to put it!" She smiled with forced enthusiasm as she handed it over to Effy. She disappeared with it and returned a few moments later as Katie was popping open the bottle of champagne. The bottle was nearly empty by the time everyone had a glass and Katie held her own up theatrically for a toast. "To good friends!" It echoed around the room as the others held up their glasses.

"What did you get us Emily?" Katie quizzed in her not so subtle way as everyone settled down in the living room.  
"I'm gracing you with my presence." Emily teased while Cook roared with laughter and insisted that was his gift too.  
"I'd prefer JJ's cactus." Katie shot back. JJ took it as praise and beamed at the compliment.  
"Thank you Katie." No one had the heart to explain to him so the conversation quickly moved on. Katie played the good host and ushered them all in to the dining room once they had finished their wine. The table was full of food and a drinks cabinet in the corner was well stocked. Effy put some music on while the others gathered around the table. There were only eight seats, though someone had pulled in the two bar stools from the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Being the shortest Emily took a seat on one of the bar stools and sat not much higher than the rest of them sitting on chairs.

Ten minutes after they had sat down at the table the doorbell rang again. "Probably bible bashers again." Effy stood up to answer the door, shooting Katie a secret smile.  
"Hey Ems, more wine?" Katie busied herself filling her twin's glass as Effy went downstairs to answer the door.  
"Sure." The younger girl replied hesitantly, her brow furrowed as she waited for Effy to return. As she caught sight of the empty bar stool beside her she had a bad feeling in her gut. The door opened again and her suspicions were confirmed.  
"Sorry I'm late I…" Naomi trailed off as she caught sight of Emily at the table. Her eyes widened like a rabbit caught in headlights. Whether she did it consciously or not she took a step backwards. Effy stood directly behind her, ushering her in to the room with a gentle push.

"Hi Naomi! Glad you could make it, take a seat!" Katie's smile was smug and wide as the blonde took the only empty seat at the table, the bar stool beside Emily. The redhead was glaring daggers at her twin as she handed over her topped up glass of wine. Emily took it, needing it to soothe her frayed nerves. Naomi mirrored her actions, gratefully taking the glass Effy handed her.  
"This is wizard isn't it!" Panda piped up, not quite feeling the tension in the room. "All of us together again! I mean this time next week we'll be all over the place. Me and Tommo will be in America!"  
"Going on holiday?" Emily asked, forcing her voice to sound calm and steady.  
"We're starting uni. At Harvard!"

Emily had chosen the wrong time to take a drink and ended up choking. Naomi reached out to pat her on the back but seemed to think better of it and drew back her hand. Panda babbled on about how she had taken some extra exams and landed a place in Harvard studying History. Thomas had been granted a scholarship for something to do with running. Emily wasn't really listening to the blonde across from the table; she was more preoccupied with the one sitting beside her. Naomi was quiet, chewing on her lower lip and keeping her gaze on the glass in her hands. Emily ran through a list of excuses in her mind, trying to think of something credible to let her leave the table. "I need the bathroom." She announced to the table before quickly getting to her feet. She stood in the bathroom for as long as she could before she had to face the music. When the door opened she found Effy standing in front of her, blocking her path. "It was Katie's idea." She said plainly, as close to an apology as Emily was going to get. "She's only trying to help."

"Well she's not." Emily snapped, struggling to hold her temper in check. Katie had sworn to her that Naomi would not be there. She had no doubt fed Naomi the same lies; the blonde had not looked impressed to find her sitting at the table. "Do you know what it's like Effy? To love someone with all of your heart and just have them give up on you? It fucking hurts."

"I know." Effy muttered and for once her expression actually told a story. If Emily had to guess she would say Effy and Katie's secret relationship had not all been smooth sailing. "People have given up on me my whole life. My dad, my brother, my mum…none of it hurt as much as when Katie did it. When you turned up waving your gay pride flag she freaked out."  
"Turned out ok for you two." Emily pointed out as she ducked under Effy's arm to get past her. Effy gave her one of her trademark all-knowing smirks in return.  
"I never gave up on her Emily."

Her words were like a punch in the gut to the smaller girl and her anger finally boiled over. "I never gave up on her! She gave up on me the second she found out I was leaving! I tried and I tried to change her mind, but she dumped me! Nothing I said made a fucking difference!" She was right up in Effy's face, hissing at her so that the others wouldn't overhear them. Effy's smirk just widened as though Emily had proven some point for her.  
"I guess you still haven't given up on her then. That's something, isn't it?" She walked off leaving Emily standing in the hallway. Without her rage she just felt hollow and cold. She felt familiar tears welling up in her eyes and cursed herself for feeling so helpless. Forcing herself to calm down she went back to the others.

"Oh. Hi." Naomi emerged from the dining room just as Emily reached it. She wrapped her arms around herself and offered the other girl a small smile. "I just need…um…the bathroom." They awkwardly shuffled in the small passageway so Naomi could get past. She paused at the doorway and looked back at the redhead who had not moved. "It's nice to see you Ems."  
"You too." Emily choked the words out as she opened the dining room and managed to finally get her legs working. Effy had moved from her own seat and was instead sitting in Katie's with the smaller girl on her lap. It was surprising to see them so open in front of the others. If Emily hadn't been so mad at them she might have found it sweet. They were talking in hushed whispers and stopped as they caught sight of Emily. Katie offered her twin a confident smile which Emily did not return. Once the others had left she would be having words with her twin.

When they all moved back in to the living room Emily sat on one of the sofa with Cook, drinking the cheap bottle of whiskey he had brought with him. JJ sat on the floor beside them while Naomi sat on the other sofa with Freddie and Karen. Thomas and Panda sat on the floor in front of the fire mounted on the wall. Effy and Katie shared the seat by the door, once again cuddled up together. It was cute and sickening at the same time. Emily was comfortably buzzed by the time the bottle was finished and was happy to go back to drinking wine. The alcohol had dulled the ache in her chest and the tension in the room had subsided a little. She looked over at the blonde as she heard her laughing at something Freddie had said. It had been a long time since she had seen the other girl smile. It suited her. Naomi caught her looking and her smile wavered. She seemed as unsure of what to do or say as Emily was. Emily took a long drink before swallowing her pride. She crossed the living room and took a seat on the edge of the sofa Naomi was sitting on.

"How's Gina?" She started with a relatively safe question, hoping to break the ice a little bit. Naomi looked surprised she was talking to her at all.  
"Good. She's taking cooking classes, insists on cooking _every_ night."  
"Oh god." Emily chuckled, sympathising with other girl's plight. She loved Gina, but the woman could not cook to save her life. "So, how are you? How'd your A-levels go?" She'd had no contact with the blonde for almost three months, though Katie had told her little bits here and there. She knew the blonde had aced her exams.  
"Pretty good." She shrugged, down playing her four As. "Enough to get me in to Goldsmiths. Katie said you got two As and two Bs. Congratulations."  
"Thanks. When are you going to London then?" They managed to keep the conversation going, avoiding any awkward subjects and keeping the tone light. It felt good to just talk. To forget about everything that had gone between them. Like it was their first conversation again and they were two strangers making small talk. Eventually Freddie and Karen left and Emily took a seat on the sofa beside the blonde, tucking her legs under herself to get comfortable.

It was after midnight by the time the others left, with Cook being the last one to leave once the drink had ran out. Naomi stretched and let out a yawn. "It's late. I should get to bed. It was really nice seeing you again Ems." Naomi surprised her with a hug. It was brief, and before Emily knew it the blonde had pulled away and was saying goodnight to Katie and Effy. Effy followed her out, leaving the twins on their own. Emily got to her feet and wrapped her arms around her sister.  
"Thanks." She mumbled. As angry as she had been with her older twin she was grateful that she and Naomi had spoken. Even if it was the last time they would speak it was a vast improvement on their last conversation. Effy stood at the door with a smug smile. She hugged her too before heading to the spare room. It was dark in the room as she closed the door behind her and groped the wall for a light switch.

"What the hell?" A lamp by the bed switched on, flooding the room with soft light. Naomi sat in the bed, the covers pulled up to her chin. As Emily stared at her all she could think of was that the blonde slept naked. She tried to open her mouth to speak, but the sound of the lock on the door distracted her. She spun on her heels and grabbed at the door handle. She yanked it, but the door would not budge. She once again started to think she had been set up as she banged on the door and heard Katie and Effy giggling on the other side. "What the fuck are you doing in my room Ems?"


	27. Chapter 27

Looking around it was clear the room belonged to Naomi. The colour scheme was similar to Naomi's old room and she even had the same bedspread on her. Her books and DVDs were stacked on a shelving unit in the corner and her laptop was set up on a small desk beside it. Emily's bag lay discarded by the desk, obviously unnoticed by the blonde when she had first come in the room. Katie and Effy had well and truly set them both up. Emily sat by the door, her knees pulled up to her chest as Naomi sat in the bed, still clutching the covers to her chest. "Katie forgot to mention you lived here." Emily sighed in response to the blonde's earlier question. "She said it was a spare room." The blonde rolled her eyes in response and the action was so familiar it almost made Emily smile.

"I knew you were coming down. I was surprised to see you tonight; Katie told me you were coming down tomorrow. Staying at Jenna's…I was going to stay at mum's for the weekend." The blonde admitted. "I think they set us up." Emily couldn't help but laugh at that and shook her head. She should have known Katie would pull some sort of stunt. She frowned as she remembered something.  
"Why did you ring the doorbell if you live here?"  
"Katie left her key in the door, I couldn't get in…she must have taken the key from my door too, I didn't even notice."

Emily got to her feet and tried the door again. She knew it wouldn't open, but she felt useless just sitting there. It also gave her an excuse to turn her back on the blonde so she could stop thinking about her lack of clothing. She heard the covers being pushed back and the sound of Naomi getting out of the bed. She pulled open a drawer and took out a T-shirt, pulling it over her head just as Emily turned around. It sat just below her thighs, presenting her long lean legs to the other girl. Emily forced herself to keep her gaze up high. It was a difficult task. To take her mind off Naomi's bare legs, as well as the rest of her body, she walked over to the window. They were only on the second floor and there was a tree quite close to the window. After years of climbing trees she would be able to clear it easily and climb down to get out of the room and confront the others. Before Emily could tell Naomi this the blonde opened her mouth to talk. "I didn't want to see you-"

"Gee, thanks! I've missed you too!" Emily sulked, abandoning her escape plans to confront the blonde. "I was fucking terrified of bumping in to you while I was here, but at least when I did I made the effort to try and talk to you! To try and not make things any weirder than they had to be! Which to be honest is pretty weird when we're talking about the weather and all I can think is 'I fucked that girl'!" Emily's cheeks were red and her chest was heaving as she finished her rant.

"Finished?" Naomi crossed her arms across her chest. "If you'd have let _me _finish I was going to say I was glad I did. It was nice, just talking…and you were the one who started talking about the weather." A small smile crept on to her lips as she teased the other girl. Emily felt her cheeks going a darker shade of red as she blushed.  
"I didn't know what else to talk about." She admitted sheepishly. "It's just so awkward. I've never struggled for something to say to you before…and I hate it."  
"Me too." Naomi added in a quiet voice as she perched on the edge of the bed. "I miss you."  
"I miss you too."

The blonde let out a heavy sigh as Emily leant down to kiss her. She pulled away and shook her head, breaking Emily's heart all over again. "Nothing's changed." Emily let out a bitter laugh and put some distance between them as she leant against the window.  
"You're still a coward." She muttered as she turned and opened the window as far as it would go.  
"That's not fair Emily!" The blonde objected, just as angry and hurt as the other girl. It wasn't like the last three months had been easy for her either. "What are you doing?" She snapped as Emily climbed up on to the windowsill.  
"I can climb down the tree." Emily answered as though climbing out of a second story window and down a tree in the middle of the night was an everyday occurrence.

"Don't be stupid!" Naomi surged forward and dragged the smaller girl away from the window. It was raining heavily and the ledge and the tree would be slippery. She had visions of her former lover breaking her neck. "Look they'll open the door in the morning. Just stay here tonight." Naomi relented as she let go of Emily's arm and climbed back in to bed. "Just warm your feet up!" She grumbled as she rolled over to face away from the other girl and pulled the covers up over her head. Emily sighed as she took one last look out of the window before walking over to her bag and pulling out some bed clothes. She changed quickly and slipped under the covers, snorting as her feet brushed against Naomi's. As usual they were like blocks of ice.

With the blonde lying close beside her and her eyes closed Emily could almost forget they weren't together anymore. They had been lying in silence for almost half an hour, neither of them sleeping, when Emily felt the other girl roll over to face her, her breath warm and ticklish against her cheek. She kept her eyes closed, though Naomi wasn't fooled. They had shared a bed often enough for her to be able to tell whether the other girl was asleep or not. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her words reaching out for Emily in the darkness. "I'm sorry I couldn't be strong enough." Emily felt a stinging in her eyes and was grateful they were closed.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't be enough." She choked out; her words were so spoken so quietly that Naomi would not have heard them had she not been lying so close.

"What? Ems, no." She felt the other girl shift and was surprised when soft familiar arms wrapped around her small frame. "It wasn't you. Don't you ever think that! You're amazing Emily…it's me. I'm just…shit. You were so perfect, and then you were leaving me and I felt like I was losing control of my life, losing myself, and the only way I could get it back was to hurt you…and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The blonde began to sob as she held the smaller girl in a tight embrace. Emily's own tears spilled out as she opened her eyes to face her. Her small hand cupped the blonde's cheek as she wiped away her tears. Her voice was low and steady as she spoke to her with certainty.

"You're not shit and you're not a coward. I know you were scared Naomi. I was too, but we were strong together. We could have made it work."  
"Could have?" Naomi picked up on her words as she turned her face to kiss the other girl's hand. The action sent shivers running through Emily's body and stirred a familliar warmth in her stomach. She had missed the feel of the blonde's body pressed against her; her lips on her skin and her words in her ear.

Their conversation abruptly ended as Emily withdrew her hand and the blonde kissed her lips instead. The ensuring kiss was rushed and desperate as they made up for the months they had missed. Emily ripped a moan from the other girl's lips as she kissed her way down the pale column of flesh that was Naomi's neck, occasionally nipping at the sensitive flesh as her hands trailed down her sides to reach her bare thighs. "I'm sorry." Naomi whispered again as Emily pulled her t-shirt over her head and tossed it aside. "I'm so sorry." Their bodies moulded together in a perfect fit as the last of their clothes were yanked off and discarded. The urgency between them seemed to die as they realised they had the whole night ahead of them. They were content just lying there together. Emily kissed away the tears still rolling down Naomi's cheeks.

"Shhh. It's ok." She soothed, and for the first time in months she thought it just might be.

When Naomi woke up the next morning the first thing she noticed was the open bedroom door. It seemed Katie and Effy had seen fit to unlock it for them, though when they had done so Naomi couldn't say. Her attention had been firmly on Emily. A herd of elephants could have ran through the room and she would not have noticed. A smile graced her lips at the memories of the night before. The two girls had certainly made up for lost time. She turned over, hoping to wake Emily up with a good morning kiss.

Her smile disappeared as she found the bed beside her empty. A sense of dread gripped her as she sat up, searching for the other girl. Her bag was gone and other than the rumpled bed sheets there was no sign she had ever been there. "Emily?"

**A/N: **So I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I felt I could split the last chapter in to two (and I didn't want to end on an odd chapter number).


	28. Chapter 28

"Morning sleeping beauty…late night was it?" Effy teased as Naomi wandered in to the living room where she and Katie were lying on the sofa. They were curled up under a blanket and Naomi hoped they were dressed. More than once since she had moved in she had caught them in the middle of something she would rather not witness. Ignoring Effy's taunts she chose instead to focus on the more pressing matter.

"Where's Emily?" Katie asked before the other girl had had a chance to ask. The blonde's brow furrowed in response as Katie added, "She wasn't there this morning when we unlocked the door." Naomi felt a sickness welling up inside of her, turning her stomach. Emily had not simply slipped out of the room while she was sleeping. She had obviously had to climb out of the window and down the tree outside. She had gone to a lot of trouble to get away from the blonde.

"Fuck." She cursed herself for falling asleep in the first place. She had lay cuddled up beside Emily, comfortable and content with the other girl's arms around her. She hadn't considered how Emily might have felt. "What if she's gone back to Newcastle? Fuck! I need to find her! I need to talk to her!" She could feel the panic welling up inside of her at the thought of Emily leaving once again.

Katie looked up at her like she was thick. "Well what are you waiting for dickhead?" In the few months since they had called their truce Naomi and Katie's friendship had started to strengthen again. For all she had snapped at the blonde it was her way of giving her blessing. "Go find her."  
"You might want to get dressed first." Effy kindly pointed out that she was still in her pyjamas. Cursing the blonde returned to her room to get changed and start looking for Emily. She yanked her shorts down the second the door was shut behind her. A whistle caught her attention and she quickly pulled them back up.

Emily sat crossed legged on the bed with a smile on her lips. Naomi felt her own lips tug upwards at the sight of her. "Still perving I see?" She quipped, trying to keep the mood light as she made her way over to the bed. She wanted to ask what Emily had been playing at, climbing out of the window and disappearing god knows where, but the last thing either of them needed was Naomi going off on one again.  
"Guilty." The smaller girl held her hands up in mock surrender, her eyes hungrily taking in every part of Naomi as she took a seat on the bed opposite her. For all she had snuck out she didn't seem upset with the blonde.

"So, where'd you go?" Naomi took a chance and tried to find out where she had been and why.  
"Running." Emily replied like it should have been obvious. "I needed to clear my head."  
"And did you?" Naomi bit her lip, a nervous disposition. She felt a sort of unease growing in the air between them, as though something important was about to happen. Emily chose to be honest and shook her head.  
"I couldn't stop thinking about you. About us, and last night-"

"I'm sorry." Naomi blurted out, not giving the other girl a chance to finish what she was going to say. "I made a mistake. A massive huge mistake that I've regretted every second of every day since you left. I was miserable when you were gone, not just because you weren't here, but because you weren't mine anymore. I kept thinking of you with someone else, like Anna or Lucy, and it killed me. I'm sorry Emily. I want to make this happen. You and me. I don't care how far away you are, we'll make it work-"

"It won't work." It was Emily's turn to cut the blonde off as she let out a heavy sigh.  
"Don't say that." Naomi pleaded, not wanting to hear what was coming next. "Please Ems. Just give me one more chance. I know I don't deserve it, but-"  
"It won't work, not with me up there and you down here-"  
"Emily." The blonde was close to tears as she interrupted again. Emily's reached out for her former lover and held her close as she began to sob. She clung to the smaller girl, afraid to loosen her grip in case she would leave there and then. Emily had always been the brave one. She had never given up on them, unlike Naomi. The thought that she was finally turning her back on her shook the blonde to her core.

"Listen to me Naomi." Emily sighed in to her ear, needing the blonde to stay quiet so she could say what she needed to. "I can't be with you and not _be with you._ I was walking around for hours, trying to think things through and I finally made a decision…do you love me?" Her question threw the other girl, but Naomi didn't need to think to answer.  
"With all my heart." She just hoped it was enough.  
"Good." Emily seemed happy with the answer as a small smile spread over her lips. "I spoke to Lucy this morning, she's going to rent my house, and I'm going to reject my offer from Newcastle uni and take my third choice…Kingston."  
"W-what are you saying?" Naomi asked incredulously, her mind unable to connect the dots. Kingston University was in South London, as was Goldsmiths. They would be goign to uni in the same city rather than hundreds of miles apart.  
"We could rent a flat, Dad had a gym down there so I'm guaranteed a job…we can be together Naomi. Properly together."

The blonde opened her mouth but no words would come out. When she had woken up that morning she had been convinced that Emily had run away from her, giving up on them just as Naomi had months earlier. She had forgotten how strong the other girl was; and how determined she could be. "I'm sorry." Naomi choked out again; it seemed it was all she could say as she clung to the other girl. "I'm so sorry."

They lay curled up together for a while longer until Naomi finally managed to compose herself. If someone had of told her that she would fall in love with Katie Fitch's twin sister she would have laughed in their faces. Though if anyone had told her she would also be sharing a flat with Katie and Effy, who were a happy couple and at it like rabbits all of the time, she would have thought they were certifiably insane. A lot had changed since Emily Fitch had first arrived in Bristol. Somehow the little redhead brought out the best in people; especially Naomi.

"It should have been you." The blonde shifted so she was facing Emily. "You should have been the one I fell in love with when I was twelve years old, not Katie." Part of her hated Rob Fitch for what he had done to his family, and for what he had inadvertently done to Naomi. She should never have fallen for Katie; it should have been Emily all along. Fate had intervened and kept them apart, only to throw them together years too late. The Naomi had always felt a connection to the eldest Fitch girl, but with Emily the attraction had been instantaneous and overwhelming. Whatever she had felt for Katie it was tenfold with Emily.

"The first night we met, I saw you in coffee shop." Emily made her own confession. "I saw you through the window and I just had to know you. I was going to go inside when you came out and started talking to me…I think I've been in love with you since that night." Naomi felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes again and she forced herself not to start crying. She kissed Emily instead. The kiss was long and slow, neither girl in a hurry to end it. They finally pulled away as they heard a loud incessant knocking on the door.

"Are you two gays going to stay in bed all day or what?" Katie called out from the other side of the door. She had intended to check in on Naomi, to tell her not to come back to the flat until she had Emily with her. A smile had touched her lips as she heard Emily speaking. "I'm still waiting for the undying gratitude and thanks for sorting you two bitches out!" Naomi rolled her eyes at the outburst.

"She's going to be insufferable." She groaned in to Emily's shoulder. Emily grinned as she got to her feet and offered her hand to the other girl.  
"Got to face her sooner or later." Naomi took her hand and giggled as she pulled her back down, stealing another kiss. She wasn't sure how she had survived so long without the feel of the other girl's lips pressed against her own.  
"How about later?"

A/N: Apologies for how long it has taken me to post the final chapter. My girlfriend ended our relationship last week and though we're still on good terms I haven't really been in the mood for writing a happy ending, so I've been working on my other Naomily AU 'Stockholm and Other Neuroses' instead. Eventually got my head in the right place to finish this though, my quickest and longest story to date! Thank you to everyone who's been reading and to everyone who's reviewed, particularly those who have reviewed nearly every chapter.

Trufreak.


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